cbduke

DON'T BUY ME THIS JACKET

2011-12-13T13:50:00.000-08:00

I'm not an overly green person by the standards of many of my friends. I live in a multi-family complex with no recycling pickup and I have to carry my recycled goods to a collection center across town. I try to get it done every week, but sometimes a bottle or two don't make it there - embarrassing admission. I live 10 miles from work and, despite being a recreational cyclist, prefer to drive most days to avoid smelling bad all day and spending the 90 min cycling in traffic. That's time I would rather spend on a trail with friends.

I've long thought that buying fewer, higher quality goods is the way to go and have been paring down my home junk collection recently. Three bookshelves became one this weekend and I've taken to buying some used clothes on ebay. I've been a frequent ebay user since I was in college 13 years ago (!?) and afforded lavish toys all along by liquifying less-used toys to fund the new ones. I don't have a super fancy carbon road bike like most of my friends because it wouldn't really make my life any better and those things are huge non-green lumps of polymer resin anyway. I've been wanting a new cross bike frame for 3 years and have held off because mine works fine. Most of my furniture came from relatives, craigslist, or is homemade.

I've just read this article from Patagonia, which I thought was a superlative company before, but a little more so now. I've seen people roll their eyes and point out that their "Live Simply" t-shirts simply cost $30 and look the same as they did 3 years ago, but I can buy 3 shirts that look the same at WalTarget. I think this goes to prove the point: they produce expensive, quality products that last and are not as trendy as most, so they'll still look good next year. The expense more accurately reflects the total impact of the things we purchase, which have hidden disposal and environmental costs - there's an additional cost to that $9 walmart shirt you just bought and it'll only last 6 months.

Then they go & take out an ad on Black Friday in the NYT with a semi-cliched hook. Yeah, people will probably buy their stuff because of it. It's part publicity stunt. I like it & I'm in. Or out (of purchasing). Whatever.

So my preachy recommendations: Stop tying buying new stuff with wealth. Instead, tie wealth to your experiences and the people in your life. Buy clothes you need here or here instead of at big box stores. Buy from your local retailer when you have to buy new stuff so they stay in business. That goes for clothes, TVs, bikes, and milk alike. Think.

Put your money where your mouth is and only buy good stuff that you need and will last and make you happy and healthy rather than junk you'll throw away in a year. < /soapbox >

Going into the spending season, I'm trying to be thoughtful with things I buy for other people. No buying widgets and gadgets that they might not want. I'll happily take pre-owned presents this Christmas!

2011 St Jude Marathon

2011-12-05T09:30:00.001-08:00

Folks, sometimes it really does come together and go as planned. I'm stunned & happy with my little hobby today. Thanks for all of the encouragement, friends.

Trail Striders Episodes 1-6

2011-11-28T12:48:00.001-08:00

TransRockies Run 2011

2011-09-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

I've recently returned from the 2011 GoreTex TransRockies Run where I ran with Eric Butze, local fast road runner, in a 2-man team. This report is a little long, but there is a lot to talk about.

The race is a 6-day stage race across the mountains of Colorado from Buena Vista to Beaver Creek through some areas of historical significance and unbelievable terrain. The stages are 21-25 mi except for two shorter days that are 13 and 14 miles each. Generally the short days have enough elevation gain to make up for their shorter length. All 6-day runners were required to run in pairs and to carry minimal safety gear (jacket, gloves, hat, space blanket). There is also a solo 3-day option. Each day the race organization cooks excellent buffet-style meals, sets up a tent city, and portages your bags. Aid stations are set every 7 mi. It's not exactly roughing it (as Beaver Creek's motto goes). The competition is world-class and included winners of major ultras like Western States and a 13:36 5k runner.

http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/transrockies/race_route.htm

Stage 1 was the hot one - 21 mi in the east side of the Arkansas River valley running out of Buena Vista. I was cramped up after we blew up on the first climb trying to out run the faster women. This was a big mistake going into the big leagues. The rest of the stage was a slow deathmarch in the sun. The end was a 3-mi false flat road run, where Eric pushed me in. We figured we were pretty much going to die sometime over the next 5 days.

Stage 2 went over the 12,500' Hope Pass out of Vicksburg, but was only 13 mi. For those familiar with the Leadville 100-mi run course, we started at the 50-mi turnaround point, went over Hope, and back down to the east past Twin Lakes. Running would be a generous term, but we made it over conservatively and felt like we had given it a good shot. We were shocked to find that we were barely in the top half of the open men's division (12/25) despite what seemed like our best effort. We were bussed to tent city in Leadville & spent the day downtown.

Stage 3 was another long day (23 mi) that was described as "very runnable" by ultra veteran Michelle Barton. It was the day that I figured out just how much salt I needed to take to survive this race. It was also our breakthrough point. We were able to put a few minutes on the 10th and 9th-place teams and establish ourselves as competitive in the top 10. Much of the stage was along paths established by the 10th Mountain Division to cross-country ski from our campsite at Camp Hale to various training grounds miles away. One of those soldiers went north to establish Vail after the war and several secret military operations happened there before it was opened to the public later.

Stage 4 was the last short stage (14 mi) entailing a single large climb, a traverse above tree-line at 11,500', and a steep technical descent, partially in a flowing 40-degree creek. We decided to hit this stage super hard against the advice of several more experienced racers, picked up a lot of time on our competition on this stage, and set the tone for the rest of the race - we were getting stronger while our immediate competition dropped out, got injured, and slowed down. The stage started in Camp Hale and headed north to Red Cliff. There were fish tacos and margaritas to be had after the race in Red Cliff.

Stage 5 was a big climbing day, but this time with big milage - 23 mi, 4000' climbing. We decided to hang with Nikki Kimball, 3x Western States 100 winner, for the initial 10-mi climb which resulted in me bonking and running 13 mi at over 11000' bonked. I know we ran pretty well, but a lot of it is a blur. Eric had a pretty good crash on this stage and gutted out the miles through some pain. Teamwork pays off huge in this sort of racing and I think we had a good team dynamic going.

Stage 6 was another 24-mi day with 5000' climbing. We took it easy with our big lead and Eric's swollen knee, finishing up with 8th place in open men and very happy.

Overall, the race is very expensive and time consuming, but you get a huge experience out of it, hang out with world-class like minded crazies for a week, and eat well in beautiful backcountry sites. It's worth every penny. I can't recommend it enough and would love to try out the organization's TransAlps run or TransRockies bike ride.

Midnight 50k

2011-07-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Somehow I was the first one to cross the line! Thanks supporters. I appreciate it.

Hardrock & some running

2011-07-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

I still haven't written about my recent trip to NM with super hosts Joy & Jeremy that included visiting Drew & Heidi and celebrating the wedding of Rebecca & Brandy, but Joy did.

A great runner and friend just competed at the Hardrock 100-mi run and I have to say I'm pretty inspired. Billy came in 17th in a race that the majority of ultrarunners aren't even qualified to enter. I believe it was his 5th time. Another mutual friend who paced for 15 mi of the run said it made Leadville 100 look like your local 5k. It certainly makes the TransRockies Run, my catered, guided walk in the park look like a kid's game. And TRR is going to push me to the limits anyway.

As for me, so far so good... I'm not running a lot of miles by runner standards and certainly minimal by ultrarunner standards. I'm loving it though & getting stronger every week. I'm seeing big gains in my tempo runs that I attribute to the overall volume being up. I also find that a 6 miler now feels too short to bother with & I'm constantly looking forward to the next run. Addiction. Just one more.

Last week I had a nice test by going to the all-comers track meet at Rhodes. I went ahead and had a go at the 1600, 800, and 3200 events. At a pace that would have been race pace a few months ago, I was running tempo & made a big kick at the end to go for 2nd place. After half a lap, I realized I wasn't going to drop the guy I was with & went back to our steady pace. The plot in Garmin Connect is pretty funny.

On the negative side, I've been having some minor pain in my left calf (posterior tibialis?) that I'm figuring will be debilitating if I overdo it like I usually do. I have thought several times while starting a run that surely, this will be the end of the year's running, but it never turns into anything more than a minor tightness and something to massage & ice.

This last long run turned into a pretty hard one. I had done some red loops the day before to get some fatigue and hills into the legs. I certainly wasn't breaking any speed records, but starting at 5:45 wasn't early enough for the heat we're having right now. I ended up drinking at least 5 bottles of water on the run & getting some minor heat exhaustion. It made for a nice nap in the bed of my truck & a good enough reason to have beer at 11AM on a Sunday. I still go to church Mom, I just do it differently.

Coming up: the Midnight 50K

Start	Su	M	T	W	R	F	Sa	Total	Mid-Week	Long Runs
12-Jun	5.7	6.01	3.62	5.01	4.41	5.52	11.03	41	30	11
19-Jun	-	15.25	5.8	7.2	9.1	3		40	25	15
26-Jun	8	-	-	6.37	7.28	9.53		31	22	10
3-Jul	17.1	8.6	5.0		7.5	6.5	10.0	55	38	17
10-Jul	20.2		6	5	4.5	5	30.1	71	21	20/50k

How not to have an easy week

2011-06-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hmm. 41 mi is not an easy week for me, even when fit. I probably shouldn't have done that 11 miler, but the road was so seductively hilly and my light (easy, but not low mileage) week left me feeling up to it...

Life is good when these are your worries.

Start	Su	M	T	W	R	F	Sa	Total
8-May	8	-	5	-	4.5	-	-	18
15-May	-	-	-	5	6.75	-	-	12
22-May	7	-	4	-	9	-	-	20
29-May	10.5	-	5.5	7.2	6.75	4.75	-	35
5-Jun	12.0	6	8.4	5	6.9	7	-	45
12-Jun	5.7	6	3.6	5	4.4	5.5	11	41

How not to build

2011-06-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Most running coaches will tell you to increase your weekly mileage by 10% weekly. I'm bad at this. The last four weeks are a good example of my usual shenanigans:

Start	Su	M	T	W	R	F	Sa	Total
8-May	8	-	5	-	4.5	-	-	16.5 mi
15-May	-	-	-	10	6.75	-	-	17 mi
22-May	7	-	4	-	9	-	-	20 mi
29-May	10.5	-	5.5	7.2	6.75	4.75	-	35 mi
5-Jun	12.03	6	8.4	5	6.9	7	-	45.3 mi

I usually end up getting injured when I ramp up the mileage for a marathon and looking at nothing other than the table above, you'd expect me to be having an injury in 3...2...1... nope. I think at this point I'm unusually fit for running because of time spent running all spring building up in minimal shoes and doing strength/core work. The table also omits the 120 mi I rode the week of May 29 or the Memphis in May Triathlon and the 40-s Zoom Through the Zoo PR I ran on the week of the 22nd.

So this week was a hot & slow 12-miler, three easy runs (6, 5, 7 mi), Tuesday night Track (8.4 mi - 2x1600, 2x800, 4x400 on just under 10k pace), and the Breakaway tempo run (7 mi). I'm doing some stretching and paying very careful attention to the foot, but I've not seen anything like my usual planar issues cropping up yet.

Picking up the mileage feels weird. At the start of every run, I feel like I need to go back to bed. The legs tell me to get a massage and kick back on the sofa for the first two miles. Then I feel like I'm bonking for a half mile (and did last week!). After that, it starts to feel good; I'm noticing that I naturally drift to faster than my former marathon pace if I don't pay attention. My running form is more effortless and that the change in footwear has changed the way I run entirely - I'm noticing a shift to my toes most of the time (See Memphis in May pic, right). I'm cruising into the end of my runs and none of the easy runs feel hard. This is the way volume is supposed to feel.

Time for an easy week.

Transrockies, here I come

2011-06-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

Heaven help me, I'm all signed up with Eric.

Transrockies is a pretty iconic stage race that consists of 6 days of running from Buena Vista to Beaver Creek, CO. This also fills my year's goal to go to Leadville. And figure out running.

Stage 1 (TRR & RUN3): 20.9 miles, 2,550 feet elevation gain

Stage 2 (TRR & RUN3): 13.3 miles, 3,250 feet elevation gain

Stage 3 (TRR & RUN3): 24.2 miles, 2,800 feet elevation gain

Stage 4 (TRR): 14.1 miles, 2,900 feet elevation gain

Stage 5 (TRR): 23.6 miles, 4,200 feet elevation gain

Stage 6 (TRR): 23.4 miles, 5,100 feet elevation gain

Totals:
RUN3 - 58.4 miles, 8,600 feet elevation gain
TRR - 119.5 miles, 20,800 feet elevation gain

So I've been getting on the training pretty hard for about two weeks. I started this year with new footwear and a new approach to running and I'm happy to report that it's really paying off. I've gotten myself back from 10 mile weeks up to 40 mpw over 6 months and am ready to take on some decent, but not really high, mileage. I think I can safely run between 50 and 60 mpw and supplement with biking and weights. I'm soliciting advice from my injury-prone & expert runners here to help me develop a good plan to get through transrockies with high milage, but healthy.

The following is a summary of my last few weeks' running, which doesn't really tell the whole picture as I've been consistently biking >100 mpw and racing a little too much. So far (*knocking vigorously*) I've not had a twinge of the old plantar fascia pain and only moderate soleus soreness after long runs. This feels good.

Starting Day	Su	M	T	W	R	F	Sa	Total	Notes
8-May	8	-	5	-	4.5	-	-	16.5 mi	Syllamo 5/14 (7 h)
15-May	-	-	-	10	6.75	-	-	17 mi
22-May	7	-	4	-	9	-	-	20 mi	MIM tri, Zoom through the Zoo
29-May	10.5	-	5.5	7.2	6.75	4.75	-	35 mi	120 mi hard bike
5-Jun	12	6	8.8	5	6.75	5	-	43.5 mi	Considering Gibson 5k (+5 mi)

Syllamo's revenge 50 miler

2011-05-26T05:49:00.001-07:00

7 hours, ~30 minutes of which was spent with a major mechanical delay. It was a beautiful day.

A ride to the water

2011-05-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday I rode with a group north from midtown Memphis to try to get to Shelby forest. After about 5 attempts to get there we went east. These attempts looked like this. Roads going north just disappear into new lakes. So do the railways. It was amazing and awful.

Recent paper e-published ahead of editing

2011-04-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

Duke, C.B., Jones, A., Bohl, C.E., Dalton, J.T. & Miller, D.D. Unexpected Binding Orientation of Bulky-B-Ring Anti-Androgens and Implications for Future Drug Targets. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry null (2011).doi:doi: 10.1021/jm2000097

Here.

Crescent City Classic 10k & NOLA trip

2011-04-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

Friday was Good Friday & a TN state holiday. With a little last-minute planning, I hopped in Olaf's car, made the trip, and convinced the race staff I was a good enough runner to be seeded in the appropriate corral (that was a hard sell).

The next morning was a quick coffee run, warmup, and luckily getting queued at the front of the 20,000+ crowd of 10kers. The atmosphere really was as intense as any race start I've been in - Ironman included. Anyway, it was hot, hot, hot, flat, and hot. You can see in the run stats that there were two hills - they were bridges over some creeks that were about 3' high.

That's a PR. I believe my previous PR was actually in Memphis in May Triathlon a couple of years ago, so it's good to actually run a good open 10k. Now I've just got to run one faster...

Extra curriculars included throwing beads, catching beads, and the usual debauchery. I noted that the best parts of the entire trip were the free bands on the streets (I tipped a little, but ya know) and hanging out on the patio post-race,two-chocolate-milks,jambalaya,and-three-beers.

And a lovely wedding parade right through the Quarter. Mazel Tov!

In a running-specific update, I am really happy with the minimal footwear deal and how well I'm holding up with it. I'm back up to 30ish miles weekly and have little to no plantar fascia pain. Big stuff! I even went on a little run the day after the race and again tonight feeling great & speedy.

Ouachita Challenge er Epic... 4.3.2011

2011-04-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

I just completed my first Ouachita Challenge 60-mi mtb race. Here's the long & rambling version of how it went and an incomplete gps log of the ride.

We lined up for the 8:00 start with Boomer up at the front of the pack (on a single speed!), Forrest not far behind him, and I was with Steve Franklin mid-pack. This year the race started in a new direction, going left out of the lot and around on a back road rather than the highway to get to the fire roads & single track. I would say there were 6 miles of paved and then unpaved double track ending in a pretty severe mile-long climb before we got to the single track. I entered the woods in the top 1/3-1/4 of the field feeling like I had paced the start well.

The single track caught me off guard since it's by far the most technical riding I've done to date. I found myself going way too fast through sections and had to really throttle it back so I didn't risk crashing. I was also concerned about sweating too much since it was going to be over 80 that day & I haven't acclimated to heat yet for the year.

We only got about 4 miles into the trail when a guy in front of me hit a whoop-de-doo and went over his bars. It was clear that he didn't need to be passed up, so I stopped to check him out. I pushed on his shoulder & felt an awful crunch. His collar bone and probably a rib or two were broken & he was pretty confused. I think he got more & more confused as time went on, which was more than a little alarming. I guess since I was there, not many other people stopped to help. Steve Franklin popped up within 5 minutes. We sent Steve down a nearby fire road and I stayed with Shaun, our patient. Over the next 30 minutes we got on someone's phone to call for help, Shaun stopped remembering names and forgot how he wrecked, and a ride staff member who was riding the course showed up. She got Shaun up & walking down the fire road and I rode down the same road to find Steve. I'm not sure how far Steve went down this thing, but I bombed down 3-4 miles of steep fire road before seeing Steve. I was really cursing him for going so far down - it would've taken an hour to climb back up. Fortunately, he was in the back of a pickup truck & we hitched a ride back up to the top of the mountain and got back on course.

After sending Shaun on his merry way, we got back on the trail & found out that we had concern about missing the time cutoffs from that point forward and we were probably in last place. We humped it over the rock gardens on the Ouachita trail. The gnarliest rocky drops I've ever ridden were in that section. Not long after that, Steve got a flat in a tubeless tire, which I knew started a rough pattern. He ended up having 2 more though the day. His little chain ring also came loose, which caused a pile of other problems including the stack bolts hitting his frame. I think he ended up riding about 15 mi of the Ouachita trail without a granny gear, which was rather impressive, if occasionally justifiably profane.

When we finally got to the big aid station after the Ouachita trail, Steve was wearing his back out pumping a big gear and I was drying out, having already consumed 5 L of Infinit in the 82 ^oF heat. There was a bike shop crew there that took Steve's bike apart & fixed up the cranks. All of the stack bolts were loose and the crank was about to fall off!

We hopped into the gravel road from there & had 10 miles of fast riding to go. I think we made up a lot of time there. Even though we were near the back, we were riding pretty fast. Did I mention that there were 30 mph winds? Oh yeah. There was that too.

The rest of the ride was a bit of a blur. I could tell that the Wamble trail is an incredible trail, but blisters on my hands, stopping to fix 2 flats, and slight dehydration made it a lot less fun than it would've otherwise been. We rolled pretty fast and Steve is a fantastic technical rider, so he was waiting on me a good bit. I pulled my weight on the fire roads, and mechanical stops, I guess.

When we finally rolled in, we were greeted by Boomer & Forrest, who had finished, eaten, showered, gone on a beer run, probably had naps, and written their memoirs. There wasn't a hint of impatience about having to wait several hours for us. That was very appreciated after all of that. Great crew to race with.

Some stats:
60 mi
82 F (but dry!)
Boomer: 5:15, 3rd SS, top 20 o/a I think
Forrest: 5:50
Me & Steve: 8:15 (we guessed 2 hours of medical and mechanical stops, so we rode pretty well otherwise)

Food tally:
6 L Infinit
2 L Cytomax
1 L Water
1 Protein powder packet thing of Steve's that tasted like neatly packaged death
1 cliff bar
1 granola bar
2 gels
2 big pickles
1.5 bananas
2 oranges

-C

Dropped!

2011-03-10T05:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm no Boomer. I was dropped on Quince. I did have a good time riding the MTB today though, even when it was 42F and raining.

Barefoot running explained

2011-03-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

My carbon Valentine

2011-02-14T05:12:00.001-08:00

"If you can't roll fast on that, it ain't the bike's fault."

I just got my hands (and feet and nether regions) on my new Scott Scale 29 Pro from Outdoors Inc. It's been a long time since I bought a new bike from a bike shop & was startled by the customer service and attention to detail.

Anyway, the new bike is light & fast & pretty & all of that jazz. I went on a little ride yesterday slogging through the shelby farms ice and mud. It is definitely a different experience coming from the full-suspension hifi to the carbon hardtail. Me like.

2.8.2011

2011-02-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

It's coming on Friday...

Two days after my nice hard 11-miler on the Sylamore trails, I have pretty sore soleus areas on my right (uninjured) side and no PF pain. I'm running track tonight with the same old posted trainer/orthotic setup.

A note on the weekend's run. I did a good bit of thinking about what I love to do vs what I end up doing athletically, professionally, and socially most of the time. I am trying to be more mindful of that and to press myself back to doing what I love doing. The fact that I mulled all of that over and came to some personal conclusions is part of why I really like those runs and why they often come up to the top of the athletics list.

Last night's workout was in the gym with very little time. I'm still in a heavy strength-building phase before specialized training for the year.

1mi run w/closed mouth

2 rounds for time of:
5 pullup
25 pushup
20 lunge w/2x8-lb overhead press (very hard this time!)
25 knee-elbow bicycle

CBD 5:13

25 jackknives

A new approach to platypus feet - evolve.

2011-02-07T14:47:00.001-08:00

Those in the know on my whereabouts and whatsits know that I've struggled with plantar fascia issues for the last few years.

In preparing for the 2007 St Jude Marathon, I had some weird foot pain in my arches. I'd had problems in the arches for years before since I have rather flat feet and, according to Mom, used to jump off of rather tall things (cabinets, houses, etc). Anyway, zoom to the marathon - I was crippled by about 18 mi in that one & walked it in. Then I recovered for a year, got some orthotics and some big, supportive shoes and ran 15-20 mi/week for a year. I trained up for Sylamore 50K with no issues and did an Ironman in there somewhere. All of this involved no hard running, nothing over 40 mi/week and no real problems. Sounds great!

When I got serious for the marathon again in 2009, I had some real issues.

Postulate 1:
55 mpw & tempo runs & supportive, cushioned shoes & orthotics = injured Charlie every time

I never even toed the line. I was in a boot for a month last year, was injected with radioactive material to get images of my bones, and was taken off of running for 4 months. It was a minor form of hell.

On a lark, and hungry for some time in the woods, I ran the Sylamore 25k after having been back to running for two weeks and had a fabulous time after no training. No foot pain. This is where I start getting confused. I then trained all of 2009 with a little bout here & there with plantar fasciitis. I did the massaging, the icing, the orthotics, the yoga, the glucosamine, and probably sacrificed a chicken in there somewhere. St. Jude Marathon 2010? Just like 2007. Time for a change.

Last summer I began running barefoot on the infield of the track after speedwork on Tuesdays and felt like it really helped the supportive muscles in my ankles and soleus, but when it got cold and impractical, I lost all of those gains, I think. After the specialization of the marathon and the poor results there, I decided to try something else. So far, I've run 3/4 cross country series races in spikes. Zero pain. We're on to something!

Last week in posted race flats and regular sock liners I ran 5 mi easy and then a 5-mi version of the Breakaway run with a little more speed, both without any noticeable strain on the arches.

This past weekend, I did two consecutive runs in two very different sets of footwear. Saturday's run was 13 mi in Montrail Mountain Masochists with full-length orthotics with a big post under the heal. This is the most supportive configuration I could use on the trails, I think.

I woke up very sore Sunday morning, put on a pair of New Balance MT101's and went out for a 10-11 miler. Zero pain. My buddy Eric was running on my heals for the majority of the run and he volunteered that my form was excellent and that I was on my toes without any noticeable pronation. I felt much better after yesterday's run than the one on the day prior even though we ran a good bit faster & harder.

I still pronate a lot when standing flat. It's noticeable below, and I was consciously holding my ankles up.

Since this is something I'm pretty excited about and hope to continue doing, I'm going to post some stuff about this transition as I attempt to get to high mileage in low-profile footwear while avoiding the crutch of orthotics & support. Hope you find it interesting over the next few months too.

Anton Krupicka, who I was hearing a good bit about this weekend, has gone through a similar realization & change:

I used to run in motion-controlled shoes with a fiberglass orthotic in them. Six years ago, I was like, “this is ridiculous.” Over the period of like three to four months, I’ve transitioned to where I can do a 30-mile run in Five Fingers with no problem, but it’s frustrating, because a lot of people are all or nothing. I run in a wide variety of shoes, like the shoes I ran in this morning, the New Balance 101. It’s a seven-ounce shoe, but it has a rock plate and there are eight millimeters of foam in the forefoot. That’s definitely minimal, but it’s a shoe still. The trails in Boulder are super gnarly. That is the beefiest I’ll run in... (source)

Great MTB ride

2011-01-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

It was snowy out on the trails when we went out and mostly thawed when we got back. Huge contrast!

heroines & somewhat corny motivational emails

2011-01-13T10:59:00.001-08:00

I just watched someone I'm lucky to count as a very good friend go off to do something heroic and it's been a very thought-provoking experience for me. I can't even imagine what it's like for her.

In that same spirit of carpeing your diem, I thought I'd relay an email I was just sent. DS sent me this. I like it & it covers a lot of what I've learned from Jeanie.

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Mountain Mist 50K trail run.

2010-10-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

Registration Confirmation for:

Mountain Mist 50K 2011

Dear Charlie,

Congratulations! You are now registered for Mountain Mist 50K 2011. Please check the event's official website for updates: http://www.huntsvilletrackclub.org

New Garmin Day

2010-09-16T18:44:00.001-07:00

Greetings

2010-07-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

from 9337 ft! Had a nice 65-mi cruise today. The first 40 was uphill. Am loving CO.

Seattle trip 2010

2010-04-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

Seattle 4-2010

A quote on the destruction of the yellow and blue trails at the Wolf River

2010-03-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

A portion of the Birch recreational area near where the yellow, blue, and white trails intersect looks like this at the moment:

A quote from an unknown runner posted via Marc Reiseling on Facebook:

Although it has been talked about for some time and although it has been feared and although many thought this day would really never come, it is here now. The Friends of Shelby Farms asphalt paradise master plan has been put into place and destruction of Yellow trails and Blue trail about 3/4 of a mile from Walnut Grove has begun. Heavy machinery is today tearing down grandfather trees along the River's edge while bulldozers abd backhoes tear the fragile soft trail and forest floor into rutted horror. They are completing the "pedetrian loop" that crosses the Wolf twice. A new bridge will also be built and the trail loop will be asphalt.

It is a tragic loss for the running, the trail running enthusiast. Where once one could get away from the noise and bustle of the city, where dirt and mud were in abundant supply, where birds and other wildlife would on occasion surprise and delight even the most jaded of us, where snake encounters were almost legendary in Spring, where a frog hatch might send thousands of tiny frogs scampering away from runners feet, where the undergrowth muted the sound of all traffic noises but the most persistent of sirens, there will be none of that. As first Humphreys was built and that traffic intruded, then as that assinine asphalt trail was built bordering the River on the South side, as more and more trail traffic eroded trail and trailside, as horse hooves tore at the soft earth thrown up by our Corps of Engineers as they "channelized" the River, and as Walnut Grove traffic reached epic volumes, this small oasis of quiet and bucolic spkndor is evaporating.

In my humble opinion the perpetrators of this affront should be publically whipped, humiliated, run out of town and sent to their dream park in New York City, there to dig and cover and tear down to their little publicity-driven hearts content.

It was a sad run this morning after several of my friends reported the destruction, the construction, the "progress" as these misinformed public minions attempt to make the natural area "better" as if nature didn't do a great job in the beginning. Yes, the Corps started this, and yes, the sheer force of numbers has given rise to this mindset, but if Lucius Burch were alive today, I believe he would decry to the heavens and to whomever else would listen taht this is a travesty, a human joke, an error in judgement on the part of whatever political and social organization/s put this in place.

For my part, I have protested in person and in letters. I have been turned away several times. Now I will turn away from the forest I have run on for some 30 years as it turns into a Memphis version of Disney World.

Sorry for the bad news.
Sat at 2:32pm

I tend to agree and will post what I know on the topic in the near future. It is unclear to me how much disruption the master plan will ultimately cause, so I will reserve judgement until I know a bit more.

There are images of the current work here. The park's master plan is supposed to look as follows:

2010 Wolfman Duathlon - first wetsuit-legal duathlon

2010-03-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Wolfman Du was a wet & cold one this year and was my first time from the racer's perspective. I was proud to be among the strong ranks of Los Locos racers this year. I believe we all walked away with awards. The Du consists of a 3-mile trail run, 6 mile bike on the Tour de Wolf, and another 1-mile cross-country run.

We started on the gravel road into a nice headwind at around 50 F. I cleverly brought a tri top rather than a long-sleeve jersey and resorted to wearing a tech-T under it. Flattering photos to come, I'm afraid.

I started off mixed up with Olaf, Clark, Daniel. These guys are all ridiculously fast in my estimation. I assumed I'd either blow up or be left by them at some point in the first two miles of the run. As it turned out, I worked my way to 3rd by the time we got to TA1. I let Clark pass just after leaving TA1 on the bike because he's...well...Clark. I was able to pass Olaf at a tricky point & rode for my life from that point forward. The next 30 minutes of sliding around in a mess the consistency of peanut butter was a blur, but I did stay within site of Daniel and Clark through the fields on the south side of the park, who were in a 2-man bike battle. I watched Daniel slowly pull away to what would ultimately be an impressive overall win by 2 min.

The last 1-mile cross-country run was spent running in fear of Olaf's red shirt popping up behind me. There were ultimately 2-min gaps between each of the first 4 people.

Team Results (and a few others - will fill in as soon as they're online)

Daniel: 1st overall (by 2 minutes in 56 min)

Clark: 2nd overall (58 min)

Charlie: 3rd overall (1:00)

Steve Cole: 5th overall

Hart Robinson: 1st relay

Steve Franklin: 2nd relay

Kat: 1st overall female

Jeanie: 2nd overall female

Lucia Colbert: 4th overall female, first female master

Linda Cole: 5th overall female, 1st age group

Of note, someone has done an impressive, if misguided, job of widening and graveling a large section of trail north of the visitor's center.

Thanks to the Terrapins for putting on one of the locals' favorite races!

I'm famous!

2010-03-03T14:03:00.001-08:00

(From Breakaway's site)

No one told me to wear black shorts that day...

Sylamore 25k trail run

2010-02-23T13:51:00.001-08:00

Last Friday I headed off for the Sylamore 50k and 25k trail runs. If you recall, I did this last year in the full-length variant and enjoyed it quite a bit. Last year's finish photo is recycled right there ---^

The following is wordy to say the least so you could just go with - I ran 25k in the woods and had a great time!

I've been thinking fond thoughts of last year's 5 hour shuffle all year and was really bummed to be injured all winter. I was hurt in late October in the old plantar fascia again. Aside from a misdiagnosis as a stress fracture and a couple of weeks in a boot, I really just knew I had to take a lot of time off. That was at the beginning of November. I started gingerly running again after the first of the year, getting in the occasional treadmill 2-mi warmup and cool down.

If I hadn't already paid for Sylamore when it opened, I might have skipped it. I'd already forfeited my entries for the St Jude marathon and the Swampstomper 25k so it seemed reasonable to get in a test run at Shelby Forrest a week before and test out the old arches to see if I could go for it. Laura, being the dependable blogger that she is, recorded the event nicely, which saves me the trouble of describing a 12-mi trudge through the trashed Shelby Forrest trails. Jonathan's face was priceless though.

For better or for worse (smarter or dumber), I packed up the car and headed northwest to get some trail time singing songs of "just walking" and "this will take me at least 3 hours to complete. Really!" I'm losing street cred every time I race.

160ish tough looking people toed the line in Allison, AR that morning for the "half". The full 50k racers had left an hour before. (See Kevin's report here) I was talking to Forrest for a while before the start about plantar fascia problems and how I was going to walk this thing. I thought I'd just stick with them through the road section and maybe down to the creek. I could stop off then and get some quality time in the middle of the pack for the rest of the race. Right? After about 7 mi I was telling Trapper that I'd pace him to the turnaround and maybe fall off then as my foot was beginning to ache a bit and I didn't want to do anything dumb. He didn't say anything for a while and then came out with, "Well, you seem to have an advantage on the hills." So I got to thinking...

We stamped our race numbers at the turnaround and turned back after about 1:45 of running. The turnaround is at the bottom of a steep road section preceding a long climb up a technical trail and then a descent that lasts for a good mile down flights of log stairs and tough rocky bits. I decided to run hard until my foot said not to. I rarely run that hard, but this was racing... I didn't decide I was racing until about 5 min past the turnaround.

By Blanchard Springs, I had about 20 s lead, but I was pretty spent. I really wanted a gel of some sort, but there were none to be had. I was asking for it and no one answered so I grabbed a handful of M&Ms, a cup of Gatorade & jetted. I was realizing that all I consumed was a small bottle of gatorade. Not good. I wasn't expecting to race anyway so I hadn't packed anything. I was exasperated by the lack of directions in there and took the long way around the parking lot to the trail.

Leaving, I was quickly rejoined by Trapper, who I knew would be faster on the flats. As we got to the middle section of the return trip, there was a long relatively flat bit. When he went, all I could do was say, "See you at the finish." We covered that 2^nd half almost 10 min faster than we went out. The win eluded me, but a 2nd overall is probably my best personal running place.

I guess the best news is that my foot came out OK. I had two excruciating footfalls at the start of the return trip where I thought I was done for, but everything held together and I basically felt fine, if woefully undertrained for the distance.

Laura's race report covered most of the important bits including sore ankles, Charlie's a liar, campfires are good, and the weather was awesome. I didn't get any photos, but some friends did, so maybe I'll update with a photo or two later.

After a nap and some wavering on whether I could actually eat anything we got to the bonfire and potluck dinner. Les, Billy, John, Richard, etc cooked the best wings I've had to date. Barb made chili. They dubbed me Charlie Chicken Wing. Casey stumbled around on her cankle all night. Good people, libations, fantastic weather, and a lot of big fish tales rounded out a fantastic day in the woods. I didn't even get caught up in a 1 am bet to race the Leadville 100 this year....

ClimbBRIDGES

2010-02-12T12:07:00.001-08:00

I volunteered & climbed at BRIDGES last night and had a great time.
They do this once a month on Thursday evenings. I'll be back for sure.

Most of my current friends don't know that I used to climb a good bit, but when I discovered road biking it lost favor. It's a lot easier to roll out the front door than it is to drive 3+ hours to the nearest crag. If there had been something like this in 2005, I probably would still be climbing every weekend.

Come on out to BRIDGES on March 4.

USARA 24-hr Advenure Race Nationals - 10/23-24 Pt 2

2010-01-26T10:41:00.000-08:00

So.... the second half of this was interrupted by a request to publish the report as an article in Driven Magazine. It's out there on shelves wherever you buy outdoorsy stuff in Memphis and is online here.

MLK day riding

2010-01-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

I had a cruise with some friends today. I don't remember 50-milers
hurting this much in the recent past....

Winter wussing

2009-12-01T08:10:00.001-08:00

So I hit snooze again after checking the temperature before my Peddler Ride/World Championship Series Event. This is a bad precedent to set for the first intended PR/WCSE in a while. I intended to get to riding in the mornings before it got so hard to get out and ride in the weather.

This happens every year, and I usually wonder if I'm the only one who has the fear that a long break from the pavement will be permanent and whether it will still be the same when I do climb back on the horse. Every year I'm a little more confident that I can hit snooze & live to fight another day. Conveniently, Red Kite Prayer, one of my favorite blogs, sums this sentiment up thoughtfully and reminds me that everyone else has the same worry when they decide not to be a Belgian hardman for a minute.

Will this be the winter that breaks us up? Will the ice freeze thick on the streets and force us apart? Will that enforced absence cause our hearts to grow fonder, or will we lose the will to flog each other over hill and dale for another year? Don’t know. Hard to say.

Outdoors Inc Cyclocross Race

2009-11-16T07:10:00.001-08:00

(Photo credit to Jim Webber, linked from The Commercial Appeal)

I had 38 minutes of ~~torture~~ fun yesterday in my new kit. I'm told I didn't look quite as bad as I felt, but it's amazing how much you lose in just a few months off of the bike. I ended up in a group with Dan and eventually Miles that turned into a bunch sprint I didn't quite have the legs for. A typical timetrialist, if I don't have the legs to ride away, I finish where I am in the group. Four of the top five in the B-race were on my team. Thanks Outdoors Inc for putting on the 23rd edition of the state's premier cyclocross race! (results)

Late addition: There was a lot of photography going on out there. There's a photo of Miles and me over at the Commercial Appeal. And plenty more linked off of the Outdoors Inc where that CA pic is on the front page. (main photos page)

Photos by Howell, Howell, & Hart.

new team time

2009-11-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

I've joined the Los Locos Triathlon team. This is a good thing!

Letter to Mayor Wharton on the conditions of the animal shelters

2009-11-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

You can write Mayor Wharton at ac.wharton@memphistn.gov if this report raises an important issue to you. You can also contact his assistant, Loyce, at (901) 576-6028. A decision on any actions taken will be made by Friday (tomorrow).

Mr. Wharton,

I am writing to express my concern over the animal shelter conditions being reported as of late. I am a strong believer in the concept that the way a society treats its helpless is an indicator of the morality of that society, be they animals or humans. Animal shelters are an unsightly reality in urban life, but they need not be as inhumane as we are seeing ours to be. The cruelty and negligent conditions reported are intolerable and I would expect you to take sharp disciplinary action to correct this, be it restructuring the shelter administration, removing the persons responsible, or increasing funds for proper treatment.

I expect you will see the political advantage of taking swift and just action to correct this so early in your tenure as mayor of the city of Memphis. It is clearly something that many people take to heart.

Thank you for listening to my opinion on the matter,

Charles B. Duke, Ph.D.
University of #####################
Email: #####@####.###
Cell: (901)289-####
Office: (901)448-####

USARA 24-hr Advenure Race Nationals - 10/23-24 Pt 1

2009-10-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Weekly mileage: 143 mi (multisport | Long run: 25 mi shuffle in an AR

Those reading this blog probably know that I've been gearing up for the USARA 24-hr national championships in Pilot Point, TX this past weekend. It's kind of a big part of the athletic year.

I got to racing adventure races with Olaf this spring; he's been at it for years and is becoming quite a good navigator this year. We qualified for Nationals at Natchez Trace, as reported by Joy in one of the more fun race days of my career. I can't say enough how good of a teammate Joy was for us. She had good spirits the whole time and generally kicked butt the entire day. Olaf's always been tough, so I'll not go into unnecessary praises there except to say that I'm glad to call both of them teammates and we're all friends after the fact; that's not a given.

(Our qualifying team at the Natchez Trace Adventure Race)

Since the qualification notification came, we'd been in a state of anticipation, preparation, and dread for what promised to be a tough 24-hour race. In fact, it is only intended to be a 24-hour race for the winners. We mortals were most likely to endure a 30-hr death march of a race intended for far superior and more experienced scavenger hunters. To make things more daunting, Joy has this alter ego as one of the top Ironman athletes in the region and had some piddly race to do in Kona, HI three weeks before 24-hr Nationals. Sadly, she was out of the running and we spent the rest of the year looking for a perfect fit.

I guess we were the two bears because we hadn't selected our Goldilocks yet with three weeks to go. Or maybe we were Goldilocks' and we needed a bear or we were after porridge or…whatever. You get the point. After 5 or so candidates didn't work out, were injured, or had other teams and we begged Joy to skip Kona, we reinvited Wendy to fill in since she'd raced at nationals once before with Olaf several years ago in his formative years. Wendy doesn't own a mountain bike but is a really fast competitive road runner in Dallas. I was skeptical that someone focusing on 5 and 10 K results would be happy in a long race. Olaf assured me that she would be great and in retrospect that was understatement. I'm continually awed to be on teams with people like these two over and over.

Anyway, last week we took off to the Dallas area with 3 bikes, a Subaru full of junk food, gatorade, bananas, helmets, paddles, piles of warm clothes, packs, space blankets, signal mirrors, and trail shoes. I had meal bags with food designated to supply 250 kcal/hr for 8 hours each. They came out to around 4 lbs each, being progressively heavier as the later bags were comprised of higher proportions of real food instead of simple sugars. There were four of them. And then there was transition area food and recovery food. I like to think I'm fairly educated in race nutrition needs. The amount of food I set aside after planning was the first sign that this was going to be hard. Really, really difficult. It was about 15 pounds of food for just the on-the-go race stuff, which were the densest, lightest calorie sources I could find. Yikes.

We lined up with the best of the nation Friday morning at 5 AM when they gave out the maps. We used up all of the 2 hours before the 7 AM race start to plot, plan routes, reorganize food, and get under the arches to hear the startling cannon go off. In all, 225 people ran through the arch and down the Lantana Lodge driveway to get on bikes in the dark. The irony of running to get to bikes in the first 5 minutes of a 21-30 hr slog wasn't lost on me.

Sadly, in the rush of the first 50 meters, there was a crash and we later found out that a woman had separated her shoulder and was out less than 2 min into the race. Her team would go on without her after she was cared for, but was ineligible for ranking.

The following 75 min was spent riding hard into the wind on mountain bikes down highways to the boats. It was a surprisingly difficult ride with heavy packs and the group we were in seemed to move a little faster than was realistic for such a long race. Regardless, we got there, hopped into boats, and headed off, again into a headwind. This headwind theme would be continued on the boat for the next 6.5 hours.

In reality, this wasn’t a headwind; we actually had a crossing tailwind that we didn’t think much of at first. I noticed at some point that we were pulling to the left as the wind came across from the back left. Soon, from the back of the boat, I was doing nothing but steering and this would essentially be my only duty for the rest of the paddle. It was frustrating to want to move forward and only be able to pull water from one side over and over. I felt like I wasn’t really helping our progress, but that’s what the conditions mandated. The first few checks were a bit of a blur since we were jockeying for position and had no clue how long the paddle was going to take. At CP2, we saw the team ahead of us drop their passport and carabiner into the lake and go diving after it. I heard later that they never found it and that their race was over. To boot, I can't imagine how cold they got. What a cautionary tale!

By the approach to CP3, we were paddling right along with some people we knew to be fast & capable paddlers including Lab Rats and, not far off, Bikes Plus Little Rock. This is either a good indication of our paddling abilities or a warning sign that we’d overexerted in the first three hours of our day. It’s always hard to tell until you either finish well or bonk. When we arrived at the CP3 area, there were a lot of boats listing about looking confused including Renn Multisport. It’s still not clear what the deal was, because our trusty navigator took us right to the check back in a swampy nook (the water was several feet higher than when the CPs had been put out). Have I mentioned that Olaf is getting really good?

After a little while in the single-boat wide queue to get to the CP, we noticed that no boats were coming back out. That was when Olaf, who had been studying his map said one of the most dreaded words a paddler hears. “Portage.” We hauled the boat up a hill with Olaf and Wendy pushing and me pulling. When we got to the top, there was a guard rail and accompanying road with no other than adventure race legend Robyn Benincasa standing there. She was blogging on a blackberry and encouraging teams as they came through. She asked our names & race number before grabbing the bow of our boat and singlehandedly pulling the boat full of packs & paddles over the rail onto the road. I mean literally singlehandedly, because she was typing on the blackberry with the other.

Within a minute or two, Wendy was wearing three loaded packs and carrying three paddles. Olaf and I were jogging under the canoe with no view of where we were headed. We must've been quite a sight for the race photographer we didn't see from under the boat. From the little bit of the world I could see from my fiberglass turtle shell, I can only assume we went down a beautiful road, through a nice field, over a big hill, down a pasture full of cattle, over a barbed-wire fence, and to the other side of the peninsula to relaunch with 5k to go to CP4, the farthest point on the paddle. We got to CP4 with 2 hours left to the paddle section cutoff and made comments about heading home with a tailwind and how easy that would be.

The following hours were a blur of cramping shoulders, frustrated maneuvering, crashing into dead trees that pepper the shallow lake, and nearly giving up. This paddling leg was the single most challenging boating experience I’ve had. At one point we pulled up to a tree to rest and no one spoke for fear of agreement. We were so sick of paddling, in fact, that we pulled to the far side of the boat launch and portaged to the transition area rather than paddling the equivalent distance. Olaf laughed and cried. While in transition, we saw several teams come in after the cutoff, which must've been devastating. We felt fortunate, if cold and exhausted, and we were a good ¼ done with the race! We would later find out that very few teams went for CP4 and many of those that did regretted it.

***Stay tuned for part 2 of this race report including transitions, cold weather, 2” thorns, falling asleep on bikes, and napping in transition. ***

Cyclocrunk!

2009-10-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last night was Cyclocrunk, Memphis' bandit cyclocross 3-race series. It involves 3 sequential Tuesday nights of cyclocross in Tobey park using sand pits, off-camber corners between metal poles and fences, steep run-ups, narrower- and higher-than-regulation barriers stationed on uphill sections, and too many spectators laughing on the sidelines. This is, of course, carried out in the dark. All proceeds go to the bar tab at the Deli on the last night!

As for the race, I executed my usual plan of going out too fast and barely being able to clear the barriers by the end. I went out to feel a bit of the pain and was very successful in that sense. As a second metric, I didn't get lapped by the King of Crunk.

Special thanks to the race organizers, some dude dressed as a gorilla, and a very tall guy in a polyester suit.

Running this week, the Tour d'Esprit, & running faster, faster, faster

2009-10-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Weekly mileage: 47 mi | Long run: 15 mi below marathon target race pace

Race reports are slow in these parts. In the meantime, I've been sticking to my marathon plans quite well, though it's time consuming and aside from working, I'm not really doing anything but racing, running, working more, and reading. I've consistently stayed about 4-5 mi/week (mpw) above my plan's expectations.

I'd love to expand on my successes at work, but it would surely bore you. Let's just say things are good and I'm pretty excited lately.

Last Friday & Saturday was the Tour d'Esprit, a major fundraiser for the Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis. This is a 24-hr relay and my team, the SpeedyCats (Go SpeedyCats!) took 2nd place with 196 mi in 24 hrs. My section was the 9:30-11:30 time slot Friday evening. My training plan called for a 16-miler with 10 mi at race pace. I felt pretty good doing 10 at 10 s/mi faster than race pace & the other 5 mi at about race pace. I'm wondering if I can adjust my race expectations a bit after this. I need a half marathon to better gauge things.

Speaking of marathon plans, I've been following Advanced Marathoning's 55-mpw plan, which has been good so far. It's the lowest mileage option in the book, but sounds high to this mid-distance running triathlete. This week started off light with a couple of recovery runs, but the rest of the week includes back-to-back 10-mi tempo and 11-mi mid-distance runs, a day off, and a hard 17 miler. Yikes.

A few runs with Olaf, the fastest 2008 St. Jude Marathon Shelby County resident, has taught me that I've probably been doing my hard runs a bit too easy for the last few years. We did a 10-mile run last night in Lakeland with 5 miles at tempo on his insanely loopy course (see map). He started by saying that his legs were flat and that he wouldn't be able to push it. I certainly felt pushed. Though I felt I was running at near race pace, we had only managed a 7-min/mi pace for the tempo section on Lakeland's hills. The good part is that I was able to really push hard for the whole tempo portion and the bad is that my plantar fasciitis is creeping back in. Time to stretch.

Most importantly, I ended up heading to the hills Saturday & Sunday to do some paddling in the rain with Heike. We did an overnight trip down the Buffalo river in the Ozarks. Life's good.

Dr Who? (Catchup post Pt 2)

2009-09-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

If you are one of my Memphis friends, you've probably not known a Charlie that's not a graduate student. I started my MS in Chemistry after 3 short months of work in the real world, a stint at Woodsen-Tennet Laboratories in the Drugs department. A fresh recipient of a B.S.Ch., I was not impressed with grinding up small furry things (homogenizing was the euphemism), weighing cattle feed and feces, and assaying 60-180 samples daily in an under-air-conditioned metal building in a bad part of downtown Memphis on the 1:30-10 pm shift. When the opportunity presented itself to work with one of my climbing buddies, a good friend and professor, as a research assistant, I jumped on it. A couple of years later when I got my M.S., it was time to move on for the last step. Though I got into my dream school, life didn't lend itself to moving to Colorado just then, so I stayed to finish up 'real quick'.

Four arduous years later, I was ready to go. My friends were graduating and I decided it was time for me to get a Post-Doc. I did, but hadn't finished up that pesky dissertation thing. After two years of procrastinating, an Ironman with accompanying 7-mos of training, a handful of new hobbies, buying and selling a house, and a lot of water under the bridge, I finally put my nose to the grindstone and finished the thing off.

Just as everyone promised, defense was as much a celebration of the achievement as a test. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, despite some nerves early on in my seminar. I really enjoyed getting back into my graduate research, which I think is scientifically the most challenging and innovative I've done to date. For the record, my dissertation is titled Steps Towards Organometallic Photochromic Materials: Synthesis and Photoreactivity of Arenetricarbonyl Chromium Chelate Systems and Model Compounds. It's a real page turner.

I have to say, life's pretty good with one less giant sword hanging over your head. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those that helped me push through and I hope I can repay the favor at some point.

Mom, Ted, Heike, Layla, and Brandon were all kind enough to witness my degree conferral in the August graduation at the Cannon Center. Contrary to my expectations, it wasn't a circus and I was surprised with what my first commencement ceremony since high school meant to me.

There were also some cool people who made it out to Happy Mexican for some post-ceremony libations. Thanks everyone for making it a memorable day for me. Great food, even better people!

Hello, do I know you? (Catchup post Pt 1)

2009-09-25T07:15:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Charlie's massive catchup post. Grab some coffee.

A lot's happened in the last couple of months since I gave up on writing here and, in typical vanity blog fashion, I'll apologize for not posting (er, sorry), catch you up (see below), and then disappear for a few more months.

In sum, I graduated with a PhD in Organic and Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Memphis (a separate post to come), finished the tri season, raced 2/4 adventure races for the fall and got some seriously fun running in.

So the end of the tri season was a bit of a bust. I went to Tuscaloosa for the USA Triathlon Age Group National Chempionship olympic-distance race and put on what was probably my worst performance since I started triathlon. Despite a solid bike & run, combining an upstream swim with my ill-preparedness in that discipline gave me a 39-min 1500 m swim and a worst-ever 51st place. In my age group. I'm not kidding. I had a good time though, got some cool schwag, and got to watch my buddy Dan Z take home the bacon - 6th in the USA 30-34 and Team USA for worlds in Budapest 2010! What an accomplishment! I know how hard he's worked for that and am glad to see it pay off. He's going to IM FL in 2 mos and, if this is any indication, is going to kick some tail.

I did get to see Chrabot take a flier off of the peloton in the elite race and hold a lead through the run to take the USAT Elite national title over Olympian Matt Reed. Very impressive performance. (slowtwitch writeup)

After that, it was a much needed week off, and the start of the fall training cycle. I'm ostensibly training primarily for the St. Jude marathon Dec 5, but I've decided to throw in a couple of running races & three adventure races of various lengths just to make things a bit more interesting.

The 5-mile classic was the end of my rest week, which pretty much made the rest week into a taper. My pace was decent, but I didn't get the coveted bottle of wine for 1st place in the age group. Serious sadness. I did end up dropping a minute off of my previous time without really having anyone to pace with for the whole race. I think last time I was trying not to let Maggie drop me. She wasn't there this year and I wouldn't have been able to keep up with her anyway.

That was a good start to things, and then came the Big Bison Butt Adventure Race at Shelby Farms. Frank & Joe put the race on and Olaf and I felt like we should put out a good effort there. The plan was simple; we'd each race solo and I'd navigate with Olaf looking over my shoulder to make sure we didn't make mistakes. Thursday before the race Pete & Forrest, two of the better local athletes - seriously strong dudes - decided to join in on our reindeer games.

So we went 2 & 2, Forrest teaming up with me and Pete teaming up with Olaf. It was clear on race day that the dynamic had changed quite a bit and that these guys came to race. Well, in short the two teams were separated on the paddleboat (you heard me) section and we ended up racing each other. Forrest and I lost about 5 min on the paddle boats and spent the rest of the race playing catch up to some seriously fast dudes. In particular, trying to catch up to Pete in a bike race is just a recipe for failure.

I tell you, I've worked hard in races before and come physically ill-prepared, but rarely on so little preparation and to that extent of effort at the same time. In short, Forrest & I caught up and arrived at the last transition area a minute before Olaf & Pete and we all left at the same time. It was then a running race. An ugly, cramping-leg, running out of water, bluffing to look comfortable, 10-min/mi sprint to the finish. We edged them out, but I think it was a matter of being interested in doing the damage required rather than any skill or fitness.

We raced it clean with no navigation issues, which is becoming apparent as the most important factor in fast AR finishes; a simple mistake can cost you anywhere between 10 min to 3 hours. Really. This was my first overall win in an AR, and I believe in any race. The margin was about 1.5 min over 5 hours.

Two weeks off, some good running and it was time for Raid the Rock, which disappointingly fell on the same weekend as the Cooper Young Festival and Brian's BBQ party. Sadness and despair.

Part 2 of this exciting catchup post will be appear after this weekend's Berryman Adventure race, which I'm racing with Olaf. Look forward to ill-advised 10-mile hill workouts to recover from adventure races, scratched up legs, petrolatum, and H1N1 in the next exciting installment.

Stay tuned and come back. Really. Come back. Don't look at me like that. You're not coming back are you?

Headed to Tuscaloosa...

2009-08-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

A little riding around St. Michaels, MD

2009-07-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

One of my oldest friends, Jordan, and I had a nice trip to St. Michaels, MD this past weekend. We biked each day, but didn't really lay down serious mileage. It was mostly steady cruising at a fast clip and seeing the area as an excuse to eat a lot. The new bike was in effect though. I've had my crab fix for the summer. Below are a few photos from the trip, mostly that make me look scrawny next to Jordan, who has been able to tear my legs off on any sort of climb since living in Amherst, MA. Luckily for me, it's flat, flat, and more flat on the eastern shore.

Thanks so much Mary Margaret and Don for having us in your home! It was a pleasure to get to see you again.

What do you need to travel except your weird running shoes, two editions of Harry Potter und der Stein der Weissen (beide auf Deutsche und Englisch), water, and an iPhone?

On the first longish bike day we did a published circuit that took us to a bay ferry crossing from Oxford to Bellevue, MD. Oxford was a lovely town and I'd like to go back some day and sit in the little park when it's not so bloody hot out. This ferry line, it turns out, is thought to be the oldest running ferry in the US. It's been going since 1683.

St. Michaels is an interesting mix of yuppie and fisherman. Often, the yuppieness involves silliness that ne'er-do-wells love. I particularly liked this locking job next to the yacht parking area. I'm not sure if these beach cruisers are actually protected by the potentially live wires coming out of the lamp post or just gravity itself, but it's a marvel of theft prevention! We spent a bit of time trying to figure out whether we could ride them locked up together, but thought better of it in the end. It would've been the 3-legged race of cruiser riding, but we were lacking the required pink plaid shorts and dickeys.

Bok bok bok wooook? St. Michaels is full of kitschy stuff. It's a neat town with more ice cream shops per capita than I believe I've ever seen. We decided it's Chester, NS, South.

Skillet Chickens weren't the only birds we saw. This seems to be a nest of baby eagles we saw on the way to Tilghman Island, though we didn't get to see the 'rents.

Jordan rode the whole weekend on wide, knobby tires just to prove that he's tougher than me. His bike was also made in TN. Serious points there.

My wonderful tan and scrawny arms match my handlebars. Oh, that's my new bike.

On Tilghman Island, I posted my coordinates on FB: N38:40.357' W076:20.309'
That was at a B&B on the end of this cape:

View Larger Map

Bonus content:

I'm exceptionally proud of Jordan's accomplishments here. He went through the athletic-prowess-inducing disseration procrastination stage just as I did, but came out the other side to land a great job, move to a cool city, and ultimately have these arrive at his doorstep.

A noble steed

2009-07-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

I just finished building my new road race bike. It's a 2006 Cervelo Soloist Team. This frame was famously ridden by Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt. It has reviews like...

Most underrated bike in the world according to magazines and pro riders, the S1 (formerly the Soloist Team) is quite simply the best value in road bikes. A 100% pro bike, with victories in Paris-Nice, Critérium International, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Tour de l’Avénir and many other races. (Quote from Cervelo)

So I finally found one in black anodized awesomeness and a size big enough for my lanky frame. It was on Craigslist in Washington, DC so Jordan and Elle picked it up for me. I'm excited & have been for three weeks as I've waited to come see my new bike. Today we rebuilt it with the 2010 SRAM Force group, which has an all new graphics package and carbon layup scheme. It's 57 g heavier than the RED group. It came with an Ultegra group, which has been sold and replaced. I'll keep the Shimano R550 wheels with what looks like 25c Continental Gatorskins tires for training. Good stuff.

The first ride was a 12ish mile ride on the paths and roads of Arlington, VA including a long bridge climb, some steep rises, a fast descent, and some pave. The SRAM double tap shifters are going to take a little getting used to and there's an audible clunk when shifting that I'm unaccustomed to with DuraAce, but I think I will enjoy the simple shifting quite a bit. So far the bike is the best I've been on in terms of efficiency, control, and descending confidence. It's 2nd only to my Kestrel Talon with Al aero post in terms of discomfort on bumps. It's going to be a great crit and road race bike and a lousy century bike. I love it.

"The Ride Before August"

2009-07-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

T'was a cool and clammy bike ride,
And all through Frayser,
Not a hoodlum was stirring,
Not even a drunk...

Our derailleurs were hung by the wheels with care,
In hopes that our fitness soon would appear.
Our noggins were nestled deep in our helmets,
While visions of PRs danced in our heads.

And Dave in his skinsuit and I in my cap,
had just settled in for a long interval's lap,
When out in the peloton there rose such a clatter
I sprang from my saddle to see what was the matter.

Away from the group he fell with a crash,
Tore open his jersey and made a big gash.
The sunlight on the tarmac did show
The fall of a rider and bike parts below.

OK - the poem's too long for me to finish. Your turn. Post stanzas as comments and I'll put them into the text! (Use: http://www.christmas-tree.com/stories/nightbeforechristmas.html)

Blind Missippi Morris & Brad Webb

2009-07-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Center for Southern Folklore Saturday night concert series.

Race Report: Plein Air Classic circuit race

2009-07-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

So, I'm one of those Crash5's. I'm a cat 5 road racer, mostly just a triathlete. I did my 2nd road race in as many weeks, this time in Oxford, MS.

So it was a circuit race, which was basically a long crit with gravel-filled 120-degree horrible corners. The course was about 2.5 mi long and we had a 30 minute time limit. We started knowing we had a 5-lap race to look forward to.

We had 5 laps on a circuit and there was one obviously strong guy that attacked three times in the first lap. He had big tree trunks for legs that were, say, 4 times the diameter of mine. I tried to get him to break with me in the 2nd lap. We didn't stay away for long, but it let me know that I wasn't going to out-sprint him and I stood a chance of out-time trialing him. That means breakaway. I waited until after the 2nd corner of the last lap when he attacked again to counter. After the pack chased him down, I took off from the back left side at a full sprint, got away, and tried to stay away to the finish line. I was later told that it's pretty frustrating to hear loud carbon wheels wind up and take off beside you when you're boxed into an unresponsive peleton.

I knew I could get off of the front as soon as I started winding up, but wasn't sure I could stay away for long if a chase was organized. To my surprise, I got up the hill I started on with a big gap and it stayed for the rest of the road to the next corner. I tried to keep it at a reasonable pace, walking that fine line between blowing up and getting caught. Coming into the third to last corner, I found a perfect line between the gravel patches and hammered it through the roaring crowd (of 5 or 6) to the the 2nd to last corner and had a peak over my shoulder. They were catching me, but I was OK.

I was in good shape until I rounded the last corner to the deceptively-long uphill finishing straight, didn't hit the corner perfectly and started running out of gas just as the big dude came around the corner behind me. The big dude caught me within 5 yards of the line and I came in 2nd. Not bad on a flexy cyclocross bike, if I may say so. In all, it was a frustrating end, but my best so far.

Mostly, I got to feel like a hero for coming in to the finishing straight on a solo break!

Just now, I'd like to thank Breakaway for their support, clothing, and fluid nutritional aid.

4th of July firewerks

2009-07-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

An odd 4th! Don't ask.

Patent Application 20090142832

2009-06-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

My new patent application was just published.

Dalton, J.; Miller, D.; Ahn, S.; Duke, C., III; Hwang, D. J.; Yang, J.; (2009). Indole derivatives as tubulin polymerization inhibitors and their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions and use in the treatment of cancers. Application: US
US, (USA). 44pp.

Indole derivs. and analog compds. and pharmaceutical compns. comprising the same are provided. Also provided are methods of using these compds. to inhibit tubulin polymn. in a cell assocd. with a proliferative disease or to treat a cancer. Indole derivs. of formula I and their pharmaceutical compns. comprising the same are provided. Also provided are methods of using these compds. to inhibit tubulin polymn. in a cell assocd. with a proliferative disease or to treat a cancer. Compds. of formula I wherein R1 is H, halo, CF3, NO2, OH, OCH3, cyanoalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy and aryloxy; n is 0-4; R2 is H and -SO2Ph; R3 is substituted Ph and substituted indolyl; and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and hydrates thereof, are claimed. Example compd. II was prepd by de-sulfonylation of (1-benzenesulfonyl-1H-indol-2-yl)-[3-(1-benzenesulfonyl-1H-indol-2-yl)phenyl]methanone. All the invention compds. were evaluated for their tubulin polymn. inhibitory activity. From the assay, it was detd. that II exhibited the IC50 value of 0.0442 ¬± 0.0024 ŒºM against LNCaP human cancer cell line. [on SciFinder(R)]

It's just a mile right?

2009-06-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last night was the annual MRTC Bud Mile and I raced it. I often say that I raced a race, but find that sometimes didn't really race. Last night I raced.

Two years ago, I did the Bud Mile and got an astonishing personal best of 5:12 at a time when I didn't try to run fast in training, and wasn't expected to break 5:20. I think my previous record was 5:32 or so. That was the Tuesday after the Terps went to IronMan Cour d'Alene so I had been doing ridiculously long workouts to train with one of my teammates who was doing the IM. I didn't do any specific prep for the mile. I was very happy with that. The amazing thing about that night was that I raced with Olaf, who talked me into running in the Big Boy's heat - 5:15 and under! This was blatantly stupid as we both expected to come in around 5:20.

"I'll do it if you will."
"You're doing it?"
"Are you?"
"Fine."
"Fine!"

Olaf and I battled for penultimate place in that heat as the fast guys disappeared in the distance, the main pack finishing under 5:00. It was an awesome battle and probably the last time I was competitive with Olaf on foot.

Fast forward. I have been busy with school and, on a lark and a dare, decided to train for the mile for the last month. It was a good goal and allowed me to feel competitive and still balance my time well in (hopefully?) my final days of excessive night and weekend work. So I did two track workouts a week under Paul's tutelage. I talked smack. I made it a big deal and went for 75s quarters. I started doing my weekly workouts with 72-73s quarters down from the 85's I ran all winter and spring. I did a lot of 800s in 2:30. I cut out the distance work. I stepped in a hole. I spent the last two weeks icing and watching the swelling going down and the color come up. The bruising never developed to a satisfying sunset color scheme as the pain suggested. I went ahead and raced.

So part of my over talking the event involved getting a dream team of pacers. These guys are 'out of shape' and I distinctly remember Bryan talking to me in this calm, level voice 100 m into lap 4. "We're perfect. We'll just keep this pace and come in right on time." Amazing. That's when things got a little blurry.

I thought it was totally amazing until the lights started to dim and I realized I was really out of air, out of control, and out of legs. I was on pace with 200 to go and watched my pack of 4-5 disappear. I crossed the line after losing 6-7 s in that long 200. While I can't say that I really raced it smartly for my fitness, I have a new PR by 7 s and am 100 % sure I gave it 105 %.

Nearing the end

2009-06-21T15:29:00.001-07:00

Mariachi at the Shell!

2009-06-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

Todd Snider

2009-06-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

Free!!?! Coolness.

Tuesday at the ballpark

2009-06-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Life's not bad.

North Mississippi Allstars

2009-05-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Yup. My 3rd cousins!

Hill Country Review

2009-05-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

rinse & repeat

2009-05-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up with cold sores across my upper lip, a light fever, sore throat, and swollen glands. Ugh. I should probably rest...

So anyway, I decided to go ahead with the Memphis in May Mountain Bike Triathlon, the first of two races in the amateur challenge this weekend, tomorrow's being the MIM olympic-distance road tri. I wouldn't say that I really feel like I raced well, but the results were there and I'm in good standing to do decently in the overall in the amateur challenge going into tomorrow. I was shocked at how hard the mushy grass was to bike on and kindof felt weird about passing a few bikers on foot.

I've got a prescription to take care of that sickness business, some embrocation and massage action going on the calves, a big lunch of seared tuna in my belly, and I'm excited to see how tomorrow goes!

For sure, today Ivan = PRO.

2009-05-15T12:25:00.001-07:00

Ivan Basso smiling on a climb while the dudes behind him bleed from their eyes => PRO!

PROness to come

2009-05-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. I have two races (1 2, sortof 3) coming up this weekend. I'm woefully under-prepared and either people are unusually into pep-talks or they don't believe me when I say that I've been on a total of two (2) meaningful road rides this year and that this fact will have dire consequences very soon. Each was less than 60 miles, I think. I'd know that if I'd had a computer. I've been that unstructured and I've loved it, but I'm going to pay for it this weekend precipitously.

Exhibit A: last year's PROness

I don't post often enough to just throw the full PROness out at you all at once. As a primer to PROness, and the upcoming weekend, we should brush up on our nomenclature and the extent of what PRO is. I've linked to this article before. To the list of PRO, I'd like to add that putting on the race wheels and bodyglide to head out for battle is PRO, especially when I know people are "looking forward to watching mediocore folks ride $5,000 bikes with hopes of shaving 10secs off their ride." I am likely to be that mediocre. And that is PRO.

missed connection: m4p (male 4 pack)

2009-05-05T04:43:00.000-07:00

Me, the squealing ineffective 'cross brakes and shuddering fork heeding the traffic light.
You, the curvy, sassy pack leading off into the distance. I tried to catch you, but was too late.

Maybe next time.
-m4p

A-Events - very multisport division: Memphis Zombie Massacre

2009-04-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

Memphis Zombie Massacre 2009

Go Sam go!

2009-04-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

One of my oldest friends has decided to make a few changes. I'm
impressed.

too...tired....for real post...

2009-04-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Briefly, I had 3 moderate-volume days in a row after not really training much since last...July. 3 bike rides (two mountain, one road), a run, and two swims (the first two of the year, ~6k yards total, I think) in three days.

Good Friday - Morning mountain ride of 3 laps of stank, and a swim at night. I was shocked to find that I can still swim mediocrely to well.

Saturday - Swam hard including some 300-m timed bits. Jumped off of the 5 & 7.5-m tower. Drug someone out of the pool with a dislocated shoulder. Road ride on the 'Cross Bike of Slowness during the Sprints of Fastness. 50 miles has never felt so ugly. Brick of stupidity. Sunburn.

Easter Sunday - MTB ride at Shelby Farms with an event or two, capping off the weekend with a hot lap of the Tour de Wolf. Olaf can ride a trail, it seems. Oysters Benedict with me mum, Heike, and a pile of lovely church ladies.

I'm tired. Now to write.

Special Bonus material:

Workin' for my weekends

2009-03-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Weekly mileage 45ish | Long run: 15 mi hard trail

Briefly, I'm taking some time to get my weekends back. Naturally, this doesn't mean I have to forgo good coffee!

Good luck Damie, Joy, Olaf in your half-marathons.

Cross Training in the Snow

2009-03-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

So we had something like 6" of snow Saturday night. I went to sleep looking at 2-3" thinking it was cute and would be melted when I got up. I woke up to the most snow we've had in Memphis in 40 years! So of course I went for a bike ride. 6 mph, baby!

Click on the bike for some snapshots of East Memphis in the snow - Mostly Audubon Park and Galloway Golf Course.

What did you do Sunday?

Sylamore finish

2009-02-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

Sylamore 50-k Trail Run Race Report

2009-02-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

Weekly mileage 46ish mi | Long run: 31 mi

So I ran long. In the past, "long" has meant a marathon. Let me point out here that I've never finished a marathon and been happy with it. I don't really consider myself a good distance runner. I've not really raced a marathon yet, despite my efforts. I'm delighted to say that I finished way happier and healthier than expected.

The lead-up to the race was oh-so-melodramatic. An ice storm through much of northern Arkansas decimated the forest. The trail was closed. A local runner posted a photo of a trail closed sign and the race director finally sent out the bad news: the race would be moved from the celebrated Sylamore trail to fire roads along the ridgeline. It didn't help that the weather forecast called for a 22-35-F windy air and an oh-so-alluring rainy snow mix. No one was happy and my group of 8 co-travelers shrank to six, to three, and finally to one. It's understandable not to want to blow your fitness on a gravel road run. I decided to apply a little HTFU and run anyway regardless of the stupidity. "You're all dressed up. Might as well go dancing!"

Never-Gonna-Be-Dismayed-Kurt showed up to

drive to the race. I surprised him with news that some volunteers with strong backs went out and cleared the trails just in time for the race to be set back on the trails. Who ever you are, you're awesome and we owe you. We headed out with ample supplies of libations, potato salad, fresh homemade bread from my favorite German's oven, and shoes with knobby soles. (see obligatory shoes pic to right)

We arrived the night before in time to check in and grab a bite to eat with some seasoned runners and catch a few tips. I asked a few questions about how to run the race, how to pace it, and what to expect. Based on recent SwampStomper results, most every seasoned runner told me to try for 5:30, but that was a fast goal. That's much faster than the 6:00 I planned to shoot for.

To the crowd's delight, it was only drizzling and 40 F at 6 AM before the race start. I elected to forgo the softshell jacket and go for biking clothes (I find jersey pockets are great on a run) and carried a hand bottle. Before I knew it, we were off on some stupid-long run. It occurred to me sometime in the first mile (up a steep paved hill to the first gravel road and down to the stream crossing) that we were going to run about 5 mi farther than I'd ever run. In marathons. I remembered how much the end of marathons have hurt. At vividly memorable finishlines, I've been reduced to a gasping crumpled mass. They say a marathon is a 10-k after a 20-mi warmup. This was a 10-k with a marathon warmup. As I ran along with runners I kinda thought I should be on pace with, but feeling kinda out of breath and kinda dizzy, I kinda got worried.

Luckily, I forgot all of that at the stream crossing during my waist-deep plunge in snow melt. To my delight, there was a photographer to accurately document my girly squeal face. If only there were audio.

As I ran away from the photographer up the next hill as fast as possible to warm back up, I got into a rhythm and our group formed a pace line for the next 15 miles. We got to the half way point without incident, but at a frighteningly fast pace. I've never bombed down extended mountain descents like that before. I heard, "We just absolutely destroyed that descent!" and agreed more than once. I wondered when we would be saying that about someone's ankle or knee, but that never came. I was shocked that we arrived at the turnaround mats at an almost perfect 2:30 in a group of about 7. There were 13 up the road and several of my group took off ahead as we fragmented in the first mile or two of the return trip.

On the return trip I felt good on the way up to the first aid station. I had some broth & cake but found it exceedingly and increasingly hard to get up to pace again after a relatively long stop. There was a mile-long section where I was just sure I was out and nothing sounded more seductive than a nap on the cold trailside. This conjured up images of decades-old frozen climbers on Everest with icicles on their perfectly preserved eyebrows. I like my eyebrows without frost, which was all that kept me moving at one point. Our group was basically gone and I ran the rest of the way back in various stages of lows and highs at good pace. I ran with Justin who had a similar running style, if a bit more aggressive on the descents. By the time we got to the last aid station, we had 45 minutes to get back under 5:00. It was 47 min on the way out. Brief discussion led to the consensus that this was nigh impossible and we set into an easy pace, resigned to coming in under 5:30.

By the stream crossing the second time came around, the mere effort of pushing the water with heavy thighs felt defeating. The cold felt good - for the first two-thirds of the way across. After a slow walk-jog up the last hill, we somehow pulled out a 7-min/mi pace down the paved road to take the unexpected 5:15 benchmark with minutes to spare.

After a restless nap, the rest of the fun happened at the bonfire with good company and deep fried Reese's hearts...

For posterity, I wore knicker tights ("that's cuter'n hell"), Injinji socks (these work), copious bodyglide on the feet (zero blisters!), Brooks Cascadia-4's with ortho insoles, full-finger biking gloves, a stocking cap, a long- and short-sleeve shirt, and a heavyweight cycling jersey/jacket. I ate 4 gels, drank a bottle of tripple-strength Gatorade, threw away a cliff bar, and got the rest from aid stations. Perfect, though a wind vest or shell would have been welcome some of the time. I'd also prefer to have worn thicker knickers or compression shorts.

From the chip time I came in with a 10:05 pace. Yep. That's me. 10:05/mile, dressed "cuter'n hell", and delighted.

Braaaaaaaaaaaaains!!!!...

2009-02-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

Bonk Hard Chill 2009

2009-02-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

(Image from the good people at Bonk Hard Racing)

This past weekend I was lucky to be invited to the Bonk Hard Chill. Since then, I posted that I “bonked hard and am chilling.” “Watch your language CBD!” I can hear my mother’s voice say somewhere in the back of my head. The double ententes just keep on coming. Actually, the event is a 12-hr adventure race at the Lake of the Ozarks in central MO that normally features winter weather on and off of the lake.

The challenge to be out there for a day racing through the hill and dale, in the lake, and into the thickets is doubly intriguing when you factor in the potential for hypothermia and the related need for several pounds of insulating clothing. This, of course has to be lugged with you all day. Stupid? Nay! Fun! To my disappointment, we didn’t have a blizzard or record freezing temps, but an extreme warm spell that left us comfortable in shorts for most of the day. Stupid nice weather. Regardless, it was a privileged to be invited to race with some accomplished local AR athletes, including Renn Multisport.

The day started out at 5 AM when we put our bikes in a staging area and headed to race HQ to loiter. By 6:30, we were en route for the first section of the race: a 6-8-mi rogaine. This is an on-foot navigating section where the navigator (Olaf) leads or points the way and the dead weight with the passport (me) runs the extra hundred yards to and from each checkpoint (CP) to punch cryptic holes in a passport card, proving that we had found the CP. Normally this sort of event is a team thing, but we found ourselves in the middle of tens of other teams all streaming through the woods to do the exact same series of CPs, which basically made it a lemmings-type run-with-your-pack-at-redline behavior. One little mistake here cost us a good 10 minutes and fanned the teams out a good bit. We had hurried through a baseball diamond with all of the other misguided teams and ran right past a CP, on to the next road only to backtrack and find the CP hung sneakily low in a depression. Undaunted, we rallied and got to our bikes, peddled a short while without bike shoes while carrying gallons of water, packs, paddles, extra shoes, and tons of food. There was no shortage of ridiculous low-speed crashing before we got to the boat transition area (TA).

The boat TA was hectic, but we eventually got our bikes and related gear dumped and hopped into boats for the paddling section. Thanks to Olaf’s excellent navigation, and a string of other boats to follow, we had no errors in this section. Though we started near the tail end of the outgoing boats, we turned out to be an efficient rowing team and pulled ahead of the teams we could see, at least briefly.

I distinctly remember the orange and red sunrise over the water as we broke through 2” ice in frozen-over coves. To the right was a freeze-framed waterfall. In the boat were my exposed knees as it was just over 60-F over the sub-40-F lake. Beautiful. (This, sadly, is partially a delightful fabrication, as it actually became light sometime while blood was trying to break free of my temples while running about in the aforementioned lemming maneuver. I will claim that the effort-induced brain hemorrhaging has affected my memory if called out here. The rest of the scene is accurately described.)

The end of the paddling was a bike-ferrying section from the canoe launch point to the far side of the lake. We piled heavy mountain bikes on the boat, tied them down tenuously, and headed out with laden boats. The wind had picked up and the boats sat low in the water making the trip seem so much slower than our relatively quick paddling earlier, but we managed to make the cold far shore where we suited up for the cycling section. This was a welcome reprieve for me as it’s somewhat my stronger-suit, compared to Olaf’s best-in-shelby-county-marathoner street cred. Only having to go back for one overrun CP in the bike section netted us a great time for this section and there’s little to write home about. It was all easy cycling with a couple of granny-ring climbs, but we took them all pretty easy. I was relieved that the bike course wasn’t too much for my $300 6-yr-old bike, but a bit disappointed that it wasn’t a more challenging single-track portion.

A new clue sheet mid-cycle-section gave us the 2nd half of the race points: another extended rogaine and a paddle back to the finish. At the bike-to-foot TA, we learned that there were only 2 other 2-man teams ahead. We were in contention! This got us off running and we quickly started picking up CPs until a bit of crowding from a team behind us spurred us to run to the next CP at full clip…and way way beyond it. In fact, we ended up on another peninsula entirely. This is what Mike called “a 10” on the scale of screwing up AR-style. My positive input was only that we were still on the map. An extra 2.5 hours added on to a 2.5-hr segment later and we were on our way, if a bit less happily. I know we ran out of water, cut up our legs, and almost complained. Complaining is a big no-no. I’m ashamed to admit that at one point Olaf asked if I’d like to jog for a bit and the most positive reply I could muster was a muted “honestly?” In my defense, I had been out of water for over an hour and we hadn’t found a CP in longer. Three CPs, four iodine tablets, and a stream later and we were back to shuffling on to the bike TA where we learned that we had just under 10 min to make the bike back to the boats to be allowed to finished the race.

We put paceline skills into practice to hustle back and, I think, were the last boats allowed to depart as the night crept in. Some time during the paddle, the sun went down to our backs, the colors went up into the sky, night invaded, and we were oblivious to it all. There was nothing left but fatigue, willpower, and the carrot of some imagined supper. After unloading and biking up a big hill out of the ramp area, the four of us rode 2x2 recounting the day’s better and worse points. It was all very "Stand By Me." Our two teams went under the arch in the dark, ca 11:51 after starting, to secure a surprising 3^rd place tie finish in the 2-man teams.

Update: The official results say that we came in 14th/15th place and only collected 31/42 CPs. ~~I'm not sure what to think of this, but I know I stamped 42 spots and won a steel bottle for my 3rd place...~~
More Update: The officials took off one CP per minute we were late (past 5 pm) to the run/bike transition area. 21 minutes. Bummer.

AttackPoint logging, red trail hardness

2009-02-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

Weekly mileage 28 mi (as of Tuesday) | Long run: 13 mi (2:34!)

I just signed up for an AttackPoint account. It is designed for adventure racers, but has settings for triathletes, runners, cyclists, etc. It seems to be the most comprehensive running log I've found and it automatically generates histograms, weekly totals in a variety of configurations, and intensity reports. It's Tuesday, and I've run 28 miles.

I set up a log: linky!

Anyway, after a good hard weights/yoga day Saturday, I invited myself to run with some local ultrarunners on Sunday. It's good to get out with some fast trail folks once in a while. We did 5 laps on the Shelby Forest red trail and picked it up for a final lap at near race pace (for me, anyway). The red trial has a good amount of climbing on log & root stairs so the day's pace was over 10-min/mi. I spent a good chunk of the rest of the afternoon with my legs propped up & tingling. Good dirty fun!

A good long run, swampstompin', a hint of real life

2009-01-26T05:27:00.000-08:00

Weekly mileage 1: 39 mi | Long run: 23-4ish? mi, 16 at race pace
Weekly mileage 2: 12 mi | Long run: 0 mi

The long run - I remember what that's like. Yesterday I woke up with that tingling of illness that just laughs at you from the back of your head. I no longer bail on a run because of weather because some people make me feel like a wimp for it. I will bail if I'm dizzy. I decided to wait until I stopped feeling dizzy and found myself without a long run this weekend. Oh well.

In other news, I did get to race the SwampStomper (the short one) last week, which was a good trial effort for Sylamore (the long one) that's coming up on me like a freight train. I was quite pleased to see that the limiting factor was cardiovascular and hydration-related rather than muscular. Normally at the end of a hard effort for a hilly course I'm barely prepared for there's a not-un-root-canal-like pain in the quads and patellar tendons that begs me to stop. This time, it was just a twisted ankle, and poor nutrition. I was also lucky to edge out a decent finishing place. I soothed any disappointment at not being the hero of the day by emphatically admitting that the guys in front of me were clearly faster and therefore not targets. Quite pleasing.

In other news, I've been working my tush off since I have good leads at UT and a recently-received dissertation chapter review to go over! I'm seeing the end and getting some good changes made. Keeping my inertia here is going to get the job done, and push my life forward at last.

As the man says: Ain't nothing gonna break my stride...

If that doesn't do it for you, there's the "improved" Unique II version. If you're still not impressed. There's nothing more impressive than this (backup image here). I couldn't possibly make this stuff up.

Going to Church

2009-01-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

Weekly mileage: 19 mi, 2:46 | Long run: 16.5 mi, 2:28

It's been a long time since I regularly went to my family's church on Sundays. Every week we had a relaxed morning and a late panic to get dressed and get to the 9:00 service. While I'm not much for the dogma or the reiteration of other peoples' words usually involved in an organized mass, I like the idea of spending some time weekly appreciating something. There's a lot to positive thinking and what it can do for you.

I like to get out and enjoy the world. Once a week, I enjoy going outside somewhere and trying to appreciate the complexity and beauty of the world. For years I've been calling Sunday climbing trips, rides, and runs "going to church" as a joke, but I like the thought of that.

Yesterday I went to church. I went to Shelby Forest again for a long run in balmy 62-F weather. This time I had no accompaniment and just went to run my own pace, glad to be out in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt in January, and undaunted by the rainy outlook as I headed to the lowlands in the mist and fog. I took the bluff trail from Group Camp to Poplar Tree Lake with the plan of plodding back, making a hard lap of the red trail, and limping home on tired legs. By the fork of the red trail half way down I was cursing the previous day's brick. It was only 15 minutes, but I had some serious soreness. At the lake, I ran into Billy, a local ultra-running icon, who encouraged me to join his group because, after running from the same start point and already hitting the red trail, they were going back to Group Camp "super easy." Right.

Some number of painful redline minutes later, the usually killer red trail was a relief when I turned off to jog up that first log staircase away from my tormentors. Half way through the red trail, at the trailhead, I ran out of Gatorade and took in my last gel and set out for what was half of my run the previous week. Bonkage. I learned that you can still run for an hour after you bonk. I spent a good bit of time walking, getting cold, running to warm up, thinking about my sore hamstrings and why Joy had to run me that 15 minutes after spinning, noticing the beginnings of a good rain, getting cold, moving on.

After slogging out the last 5-6 mi, and getting back to the car, I thought about how much that hurt, and how much I love every bit of it. I seem to be attracted to activities that change safe, warm, comfortable days into harrowing experiences. It's all very Hemingway. It was a Sunday. A chilly, rainy, muddy, sore, cloudy Sunday. If you look at it just right and try to get the most out of it, you can see the trees turn to pillars, the path an isle, the canopy to stained glass.

New Year's Eve

2008-12-31T19:42:00.000-08:00

David Bohen Blues Band

Trail Goodness

2008-12-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

Weekly mileage: 34 mi | Long run: 16 mi, 2:30

I went for a nice run yesterday. And today.

Yesterday morning, I got up and drove out to Shelby Forest for some time on the red loop, which is a tough up and down bluff loop with tons of climbing. One of the local running phenomena said I should try running there and that I'd walk some of the hills. I arrogantly, but privately, thought that I'd no need for walking any hills. I was wrong. I huffed and I puffed and I "ran" 3 miles (and some out and backs) in about 35 min.

Today was to be the longer run. I was hoping for 2.5 hours and a good 16 mi. Damie, Joy and I covered the time, but not the distance. I'm relearning how poor of a metric distance is for trail running effort and time. We did some chatting and I made an effort to run up and down every hill to get in the all-important quad damage. I'm thinking that my aerobic base is fairly solid and I can get by with some easier long runs as long as I get to having tired legs and still have the umph to push up that next set of roots and slippery mud with some level of nimbleness.

I did get back to that feeling that I was somewhere I belonged. It's nice to just get out and navigate the terrain; to concentrate on that next pile of rocks and roots, and compensate for the way your feet just slid 6" to upset your line. When you forget all about the frost in shorts and a thin top, you're there. It's fun to push through a little pain to make sure you run all the way up that bluff and to get into a flow going down the hill a half step from the edge of control.

In all, I'm not pooped but I can tell I had a good effort. Anything more would have been bad considering the cold I'm fighting off. I really should spend more time running trails.

Trail running and waxing poetic/sappy

2008-12-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

Running is something I’ve never considered myself good at. It’s my middle sport. I’m a better biker than a runner and a better runner than a swimmer. I’ll probably never be able to run a 1:15 half or 2:40 marathon and frankly don’t care to hurt that much. Last night at Paul’s Christmas Run, I was surrounded by excellent runners of all types from the 16-minute 5-k-ers to the 100-mi veterans, many of whom have put much more of themselves into the sport than I ever will. Even so, this winter I’m giving focused running a go as I prep myself for the Swampstomper and the Sylamore trail runs. I’m way late getting started and have higher than realistic expectations. This means some big changes and, I hope, a lot of fun along the way.

Trail racing means I need to train on trails and the best place in Memphis to hurt on trails is Meman Shelby Forest 20 min north of downtown, 50 min from home. I need to be there 2 to 3 days each week. I need to toughen up for and on that red trail, and beef up for that longish run that will only be 15 miles just now and needs to grow sharply if I’m going to make it through this winter’s goals. I need yoga and weights 2-3 times a week instead of my current 1. I need to get more sleep. I need to (ab)use my flex time at work to get in a longish trail run once weekly in the morning. I need to sort out why I’m doing this so I can keep the motivation up to put in the time, sacrifice other parts of life and their comforts, and get the job done.

Out of this, I hope to find that enjoyment of running, feeling efficient, pushing a little and knowing what to expect, and, more than anything, being comfortably alone.

I had that all last spring training for IMUSA. I was running weekly interval-peppered half marathons and then picking it up for an additional few miles. Afterwards, I would stretch for 30 min, shower, and go on about my day as if nothing ever happened. I mourn the loss of that fitness level and am ready to welcome it home. I actually got to where my long run was the co-highlight of my IM training week with the long ride. Unlike the group ride, which usually boiled down to 5-8 hours of whining with a couple of others and constantly adjusting the pace to suit everyone, I was out on my own, running my own pace, in control. In none of my rides or swims have I gotten into that thoughtful zone where I can sort out my life, get away from real-life stresses, and just be like I have on good long runs.
There’s a certain amount of satisfaction in working out alone that’s grounded it its independence. If you’re out there, you’re not there because someone kept you from procrastinating, guilted you into getting it over with, or set the pace for you. You’re not struggling to keep up with Mason who’s chatting calmly and picking up the pace to turn long into tempo. You’re just there.

That’s not to say I want to do all of these runs alone. I look forward to getting some good group training time in too, since I miss that aspect more than anything about being out of training. So - see you on the trails?

Pompalamoose Music

2008-12-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

Heh. I've been rocking out to this all day.

Blue Car by Greg Brown

2008-11-20T06:54:00.000-08:00

i'm driving my blue car baby
down from the mountain so high
i'm driving my blue car baby
coming down gon' say goodbye

the sunrise is a miracle
but it can't hold a candle to you
do you remember them rides in my blue car
back when it was brand new

well it's a good old car
but the clutch is a little loose
and the brakes are screaming
a song called what's the use
but it's good for one more trip
one more trip to you

the lightning's meant to strike
the tall pine trees
and the birds are meant to cry
and wheel in the breeze
ahh but some things baby
i guess they just ain't meant to be

when i get back up on the mountain
i'll close my door against the wind
i'll park my old blue car
i might fall down the mountain
but i will never fall in love again

i'm driving my blue car baby
down from the mountain so high
i'm driving my blue car baby
coming down gon' say goodbye

I heard this song live in about 2001 when Jordan and I followed Ani, Greg Brown, and Gillian Welsh around the Northeast. I think it was at the Lincoln Center. This is one of my favorite songs. It has no direct connection to anything at the moment, but it's a great song that makes one almost nostalgic for heartache. Almost. </sappy>

So I went back and found pictures. All of the files were made in 2000, but I think that's a false time stamp. You must be right Miss; it was the Lincoln Center.

Here I am with Minnie, Priscilla, and (Minnie's roommate at the time?). I really did like the people and wasn't nearly as suspicious as I appeared.
A wider shot of the venue...Greg Brown, Ani, and the Welshes on stage that night...

Boonies post

2008-11-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

I post from a roadside Mexican restaurant with home made benches of
2x4s waiting for roadside assistance from 50 miles away. It's
intermittently hailing. I couldn't make this stuff up.

Post-desert elaboration

2008-11-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

So Friday I flew to NM to visit Rebecca and Brandy and to go to Heidi & Drew's wedding.

Rebecca and Brandy are from Memphis, went to Oregon for an internship and have settled in Las Cruces. I was quite happy to see that they're getting on so well in NM and it seems to suit them more than the rainy and whiny pacific northwest. It's certainly not damp there. As someone who's lived in deciduous forests all of his life, I find it shocking to go almost anywhere outside of the Appalachian/Middle-American woods. What's the most amazing about NM is how many climates and how much there is one's heard of. White sands, spikey plants, the aptly named Radium Springs, the future space port, many observatories including the VLA, plateaus, long vistas, deep canyons, and sparse population are the name of the game in this neck of the woods.

The first place we visited (aside from my coffee club wandering to the mountains in my last post) was white sands. The alien landscape is nothing short of astonishing. The sands are made of gypsum (CaSO4*2H2O) a water-soluble salt that crystallizes out of nearby Lake Lucero in the Tularosa Basin. According to the park service, the sands erode from meter-long crystals forming at the edge of the lake as it continually contracts and expands. The granules are eroded and blown by the wind to form a 275-mile^2 swath of land. It's cool. It's also fun to sled down.

If the erie silence and oddness of an alien salt-sand landscape doesn't get to you, the fact that the dunes sit right in the middle of the White Sands Missile Range might. Luckily, the highway was open and they weren't firing off any bottle rockets that day. Life firings average twice weekly. They did have a missile garden with displays of many of the missiles, rockets, and, err, unmanned crafts tested on site over the last 6-7 decades.
Alien craft viewing done, I set out northward the next day to witness Heidi and Drew's wedding. Stunning. They have a knack with simple, modern aesthetics that I really enjoy. Most people that go with the modern, Ikea look end up looking cheesy. These two don't and their simple wedding ceremony with brewpub reception was a good time. They managed just enough solemnity to consecrate the day without making things stressful for anyone that I could tell. Well done.

The next day in Las Cruces, we had time for coffee, a tour of the town, and some poking around in Billy the Kid's old neighborhood. Officer Rebecca and Brandy were great hosts and I'm quite happy for them in their new diggs. Thanks guys!

Desert session

2008-11-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

If I had coffee, this would say, "Coffee Club Southwest Chapter,
Division of Aguirre Spring Wilderness Area."

A little rubbing and a lot of heavy breathing

2008-10-22T11:08:00.001-07:00

Get your mind out of the gutter.

Last night was the last of the Cyclocrunk cyclocross series at Tobey park. The big boys were out and the field was bumpy. Two weeks ago there was a heavy rain for the first of the series and the ruts were deep and dried by last night. This made for an especially punishing course on a 'cross bike and the mountain bike guys may have been onto something...

If you're not familiar with cyclocross, it's like a criterium off road. There is a 1-mile-ish loop that goes up and down steep hills, over barriers designed to get you off and carrying your bike, through sand pits and drainage ditches, etc. It's hell. 40-50 minutes of hell. I love it.

Anyway, the race started in the near dark just after 7 pm. There were 40-50 people lined up for the 40 minute race. After the neutral lap, we had a running start to the bikes and went off down the hill. The first lap is always ambitious for the whole crowd. We stayed close together in one long line for the first and fastest lap. I knew half way through that lap that I'd be suffering in no time. The barriers were all manageable in the first lap but each successive lap you get more and more sloppy and I took the first three laps to try new lines at speed and try to find the smoothest transitions over the barriers, drainage ditch, sand pit, and rutted fields. I thought I was doing pretty well until I got lapped by Russ on lap 5!

Somewhere in the first 6 laps I came through the crowd at the top of the climb (OK, it was a little hill up to a rugby pitch, but whatever! don't belittle my pain) and had a...er...failed remount where I didn't clear the saddle back and sat on my rear tire. Big cool points! I heard lots of ooooooohhhhh's, waved, and hopped back on with 9ish laps to go. I made it a point to look as cool as possible thereafter. If I'd had sunglasses, I'd have put them on for extra cool. I think we all know cool's not my thing. moving on...

Anyway, after the first four laps or so, I settled into a much easier rythm, got out of the red and pushed for the finish. I passed people continually, which made things a bit gratifying after a slow start relative to the ambitious crowd. I was a little concerned that about 8 people lapped me though! Russ lapped me twice!

One thing I noticed is that the guys who were significantly faster weren't actually riding faster. I could easily keep up with them on the bike. They were simply transitioning faster back onto the bike, something that requires control, ballance, and lungs of steel. This is giving me some motivation to get back on the bike and put in some effort. It's a different type of hurt than what I've been trained for. The IM is all about controlling yourself at 70 % and not going anywhere near the redline. This is about pushing that redline to new levels and it's what I want to do this next year as I try some shorter offroad events and try to get some mileage in the peleton. I'm hoping that my aerobic base will translate to some good speed later in the winter.

Anyway, special thanks to all of the people who came out to yell at a bunch of silly peope falling over barriers and looking too cool for school like Sven Nys, the world champ up there...

slow late work day

2008-09-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

Your result for The Motorcycle Personality Test...

Yamaha YZF R1

You're addicted to speed, but have the knowledge and experience to match. Although you like to win, you don't really care so much about competing with others as much as competing with yourself.

Your bike is the Yamaha YZF R1. Given how easily the rear wheel on this beast spins up coming out of turns, it is fortunate that you constantly work to improve your skills. (I've seen more R1s crash at track days than any other bike.)

It was a close decision with the Suzuki GSXR1000, but your personality seemed a bit more R1-ish. (But hey, I could be wrong. Its only a silly test.)

Take The Motorcycle Personality Test at HelloQuizzy

Your result for The Would You Have Been a Nazi Test...

The Expatriate

Congratulations! You are not susceptible to brainwashing, your values and cares extend beyond the borders of your own country, and your Blind Patriotism does not reach unhealthy levels. If you had been German in the 30s, you would've left the country.

One bad scenario -- as I hypothetically project you back in time -- is that you just wouldn't have cared one way or the other about Nazism. Maybe politics don't interest you enough. But the fact that you took this test means they probably do. I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt.

Did you know that many of the smartest Germans departed prior to the beginning of World War II, because they knew some evil shit was brewing? Brain Drain. Many of them were scientists. It is very possible you could have been one of them.

Conclusion: born and raised in Germany in the early 1930's, you would not have been a Nazi.

The Would You Have Been A Nazi? Test

- it rules -

Take The Would You Have Been a Nazi Test at HelloQuizzy

Your result for The Personality Defect Test...

Spiteful Loner

You are the Spiteful Loner, the personality type that is most likely to go on a shooting rampage. In high school, you were probably that kid who wore all black and who sat alone in a corner of the lunch room, drawing pictures of dead babies. You are a rational person and tend to hold emotions in very low-esteem; not only that, but you are also rather introverted, meaning you probably bury any emotions you feel deep inside yourself, like all of the bodies in your backyard. Combine these traits with your dislike of others and your brutality, and it seems that you would be quite likely to shoot innocent people in a rampage. Most likely, you also have low self-esteem. Hell, I get low self-esteem just looking at you. This is only yet one more incentive to go on a shooting rampage, because you wouldn't care if you died as a result. Granted, you probably haven't gone on a shooting rampage and probably never will, but all the motivations are there. All you need is for someone to push you over the edge, calling you names and belittling you. Like me. But don't shoot me. I have a 101 mile-long knife, you know. In conclusion, your personality is defective because you are too introverted, brutal, insecure, and rather unemotional. No wonder no one hangs around you, you morbid, cold-hearted freak!

To put it less negatively:

1. You are more RATIONAL than intuitive.

2. You are more INTROVERTED than extroverted.

3. You are more BRUTAL than gentle.

4. You are more HUMBLE than arrogant.

Compatibility:

Your exact opposite is the Televangelist.

Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Capitalist Pig, the Smartass, and the Sociopath.

Be sure to take my Sublime Philosophical Crap Test if you are interested in taking a slightly more intellectual test that has just as many insane ramblings as this one does!

Take The Personality Defect Test at HelloQuizzy

Response From Long-Distance Tourers

2008-09-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

In Lake Placid this July, I had the pleasure of talking to two very interesting people. Simon and Lisa were riding the world on a pair of large BMW adventure-touring bikes. Their story is pretty inspirational and worth checking out.

From Simon & Lisa from http://www.2ridetheworld.com:

From: simonthomas
Date: September 18, 2008 12:48:15 PM CDT
To: Charlie Duke
Subject: Re: Ironman Lake Placid

Hi Charlie

I was just going through my very very old emails and realised that we never replied to your email and thanked you for the photos you forwarded! We have been having some issues with our email account this year and are now having problems catching up with the back-log we now have!

We are currently in Maryland USA having had the chance to visit New York city and Washington DC over the last couple of weeks...and will be heading torwards Tennesse in October where we have a presentation to give at the local BMW dealer called Bloodworth sports in Nashville. However, our time visiting here will be a little more 'work' orientated!

Our visa for the States runs out this Nov and so we will soon be heading back into Mexico for a short while prior to leaving the USA in spring 09. We do however intend to re-visit the USA at the end of our trip....in another 4 years or so...so keep in touch and maybe we can catch up with you.

I hope you dont mind but I have included your email address in our group email list. This means that now and again you will receive an update from us. If you would rather not be included just let me know and I will remove your email address straight away!

so, once again, many thanks for the offer of info and bbq -its always appreciated.
check out the website now and again
kind regards
Simon and Lisa

www.2ridetheworld.com
"Adventure: the pursuit of life".Daniel Roy Wiarda

----- Original Message ----
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 2:36:41 PM
Subject: Ironman Lake Placid

Dear Lisa & Thomas,
It was quite nice to get to talk with you two before the race in Lake Placid! I saw some of your website photos of the race - great weather, eh? It was quite a day for us all and each of the 10 from our team finished in good form, if a bit soggy. I hope you had a good time and have moved on to new adventures.

I've attached a couple of photos of you two on the street, me on the bike (Tinkerbell, was it?), and another teammate and me passing Bjorn Andersson, a pro contender for the win. Unfortunately for our inflated egos, Bjorn was already 13.1 miles ahead of us on his second run lap.

Best of luck to you both with your travels. If you come through Memphis, TN, feel free to send me an email if you'd like to grab BBQ or to get any info about the city!
-Charlie Duke

thursday morning coffeetime ruminations

2008-09-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

"'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt." - Abraham Lincoln

So I'll speak a bit. Actually, I wanted to list a couple of positive things.

-I reached a key research objective at UT and I think it may have exciting implications for prostate cancer in the long run. The possibilities, now knowing that I have a hold on this well-developed but imperfect field, are many and exciting. There's much to be done!
For the first or maybe second time in my career, I feel like I know why I'm doing all of this. Most days it's a mindless slog through unrewarding hard work with little pay off. Between Christmas and New Year's 2005 I worked approximately 90 hours to complete a research project that only 5 people will likely read. If I'm lucky. To be fair & honest, I didn't get into science because it's fun or even to help people. I'm not sure why I was drawn to it, except that I tend to like challenges. It certainly isn't the money or fame. Without waxing poetic all too much, it'll suffice to say that I'm pleased with research for once.

-I'm going to take the motorcycle safety foundation beginner's course in two weeks and I'm super excited about that. I'm going to try to ride to work for a while on either a scooter or motorcycle. This will be a more fun, economical, and practical way of saving on gas than going through a car change; I should be able to keep the lumbering SUV (how American of me!) and have something fun to zip around on in good weather. As Jeff says, it's one of the most soulful things one can do. I'm looking for solid experiences here. No crashing though. I've wanted a motorcycle since I was about 0 years old. Actually, I think I was 3 when my baby sitter showed up with his jacket & cool ride and I was hooked on the idea. Since then, I've been showing enough descretion to stay away, knowing that I had a tendency to drive a little too sportily in the 80's Porsche I restored. I figured I wasn't mature enough to handle the potential risk. We'll see if that's a thing of the past soon enough. I may sell it a week after the first ride if I see signs of serious danger.

-Dewey, my sister's dog and my nephew, has been diagnosed with lymphoma, but after a rough patch, has responded well to chemo and seems to be over an infection. He had some pretty nasty skin lesions that are clearing up and he's up to 2.5 cans of food a day! Go Dewster! Through this, my sister has become nurse extraordinaire for this poor pooch. She's dealt with all sorts of unpleasantries and had the long nights in the doggie ER. Dewey's had a fantastic mother though all of this. We should all be so lucky.

Brewing

2008-09-16T08:27:00.001-07:00

I've been brewing quite a bit of beer for the last couple of months with Heike. It's been fun. We're trying to get waaay ahead of consumption since it's said that the beer most homebrewers make is ready just about when you drink the last bottle. We've now bottled, but not consumed entirely, several 5-gal batches

Buddy Beer (first batch, ~2 bottles left)
Cherry Beer (super strong, creamy, lots of head, hint of fruit - belgianish)
Waylan's Whisker Water (so named for Waylan's brush against the brew bucket and the lack of taste)
Totem Stout (named for fermentation while in the pacific northwest. Super strong & the fullest-bodied beer yet)
Biere de Guarde 1 (Not an interesting name, really)
Biere de Guarde 2: Sale Privée (dirty closet)
Rownry Ale (Heike's 2.5-gal batch brewed while lonely)

(image stolen from here)

Back into the swing of things

2008-09-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

So in the last two months, I've been to my master's swim class a whopping 5 times. I was in the lane with Gayle, college swimmer, and Jonathan, swimmer extraordinaire. I hung in the middle between my lane mates all the way through the workout until the final 12x100 stint, where I slowed, lost form, swam on my side for a while with that gasping-fish thing going on, threw in a few death spasms, and slowly sank to the bottom of the (now saltwater!) pool where crabs consumed my pale carcass over the following hours leaving behind an amazingly intact skeleton that listed about in the waves. It was all quite dramatic. The crabs are happy.

Today is the day, though. I'm going to start going consistently. Really. What I need is consistent coffee club attendance to make it worthwhile and people to guilt me into going. We're accepting applications for admittance. I'd like to maintain 2 each of swims, bikes, and runs through the winter to keep my form. The plan is to build base running mileage while staying injury free in preparation for Sylamore 50k in February. In addition, I'll race cyclocross as much as local race frequency allows. Swimming will be focused on keeping a modicum of form for next year's triathlon season. It's also kinda...fun!

(images stolen from here and here)

Armstrong rumored to return.

2008-09-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Really? Really?!!
I'm all for it.

Armstrong at Leadville last month | Photo: Joseph Kreiss

The Return of the Jedi (blogger), directions, IM, postIM, and some teasers

2008-08-25T21:58:00.001-07:00

Lieber Damen und Herren, I'm back.

Well, that implies that I was ever here and by now my web publishing is little more than a fable of old. I have some options for what to do here (homebrew haven, cyclocross uncensored, chemistry quarterly), but mostly I don't have a real purpose for blogging so I've refrained from adding to cyberclutter. I prefer real human contact recently, it would appear. I'm going to attempt to update once weekly with some positive things I've seen in the week. I'll put this week's at the end of this post.

The ironman was pretty cool. I did OK. It rained a lot. In a nutshell, I was well prepared and didn't really hurt the whole day. There were warnings of some super-bad times from the sages of ironman, but their advice must have paid off; I never got there. The worst pain was definitely my unpreparedness for the hills and their effect on my Achilles tendons. My ankles were swollen for a week as a result.

Ultimately, I ran across the finish line and wiped 11 hours of sweat and rain off of my head. I heard someone with a name that sounded an awful lot like mine being called an ironman. I went looking for food. In some ways, I'm a bit disappointed that it wasn't this superlative epic event I thought it might have been. I didn't come back down off of the mountain with a new outlook on life, more productive at work, or even a better dresser. I don't have the tattoo (they don't actually hold you down and give them to you at the finish line as one once asked me). I do know that I'll probably do another after a year off and that I think I can do better next time.

The realization that I might be able to do better is definitely a double-edged sword. I caught a glimpse of what IM pain can be like, but without really pushing it too far. I know that improving will mean some of that will have to come out in full force. I now know what it's like to have 7 months of training under your belt and simultaneously have had 7 months without free weekends. I still think that I timed the workouts just right to be totally burned out by taper time. Had the race been 2 weeks later, I'm quite sure that I would've had a 5-week taper.

All of this comes off as a bit of a downer, but I'm quite proud of myself for getting through all of that and the other stresses in my life over the last six months. Though some things diminished my interest in the race, I am especially proud of myself for sticking to the plan and using a little HTFU.

Looking back at my last previous post about the Haka, I find it interesting that that competitive spirit seems so far removed now. I've gained 5 lbs, got bushed from a 45-miler Sunday, and opted to pace Alistair rather than race the 5-mile classic. I'm eating more indulgently than I have all year and it doesn't matter. I love it. On the other hand, I'm looking forward to some speed work in the near future in preparation for cyclocross season. I'm going to be putting the big tires on soon and using them to get myself around town a bit. I hope to get back to being able to do group rides on the knobbies and keep up.

In the other parts of my life, I've enjoyed getting to know some new people that I think have outlooks on life that are healthy for me to be around, I've visited my extended family in NJ, visited my sister in Seattle, and gone backpacking on Vancouver Island. More to come there...

Some good things I saw/did recently (this is partially stolen from/inspired by Heike's facebook profile idea):
-Pacing Alistair at the 5-mile classic to beat his goal time by almost a minute
-Tasting unconditioned Totem Stout from a coffee cup while sitting on the kitchen floor
-Catching up with old friends and making new ones at my 10-year CBHS reunion
-Keeping up with friends from all corners of the globe

Haka

2008-07-19T16:51:00.001-07:00

I'm practicing for tomorrow morning. This is a good approach, this mild-mannered blogger thinks.

Lake Placid

2008-07-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

We've arrived at lake placid. It's raining. More to come!

Encouraging words from the IronMan Race bible

2008-07-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

RUN COURSE AND RULES

Course Length 26.2 miles/42 kilometers
Cut Off Time 12:00AM (The race officially ends at this time.)

No form of locomotion other than running, walking or crawling is allowed.

I'm not actually very nervous but someone tell my why I am doing an event that has an explicit rule declaring crawling as a permissible mode of transportation? Is this really necessary? Do people really crawl? Surely not any good athletes... Yes they do.

Surely that only happens to one person at a time. No?

Maybe it's only girls...

To make your own humorous crawling video, see me finish IM USA this Sunday, July 20. I'll be race number 252 and you can track my progress at ironmanlive.com - there's a track an athlete section where you can enter my bib number or last name and watch. I suggest checking at breakfast, lunch, and sometime close to dinner.

Heroic Horner Hurries Harried cHarlie

2008-07-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

I'm totally stealing this guy's post. This is such a wonderful example of sportsmanship in a sport riddled with doping, disappointments, recreational drugs, and general wackiness. This could be a cute joke if it weren't on an uphill finish. A story like that is inspirational to this amateur athlete headed to Lake Placid with the goal of simply finishing his first IronMan triathlon. If Horner can work his rear off to pull Levi Leipheimer for 70 mi, get dropped, and then carry a hurt guy uphill to the finish, I can simply drag my butt up a few hills. That's all there is to it.

Linky on VeloNews

Coffee club, NJ PA (nearly NJ) Chapter

2008-07-12T03:56:00.000-07:00

It was here. :-)

A Charge

2008-06-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

So I guess I'm going to continue in this theme of poetry for a little while. I was actually looking for a quote an old friend used to tell me that began with Hail to thee blythe spirit (actually "To a Skylark" by Percy Shelly, linky), but found this gem instead.

A CHARGE

by

Nola Bhe

Oh! Hail to thee blythe spirit
From where you did begin
To seek and strive to live it
And someday have it end -

Between these spheres you have a choice
Look inward and be bold
Or, tune into anothers voice
Dependent to be told -

I charge to thee blythe spirit
To know yourself is just
Within, you can but give it
To guide, to love, to trust

All rights reserved Link

[IF]

2008-06-12T07:57:00.001-07:00

I was recently sent this by Mason - very pertinent to rough and probably less rough times in life. Thanks Mason.

[IF]

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

This poem was mentioned in Once a Runner by John L Parker where the protagonist talks about a 4:30 mile as insulting:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run --
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man my son!
-- Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling was a 4:30 miler!!

Memphis in May Triathlon

2008-05-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the Memphis in May triathlon. After Gulf Coast and the rest of last weeks happenings, I had no aspirations of racing well. I think that is key to a good race.

I went out Saturday to cheer on Nancy, Joy, Alyson, and a few others and hung out at the Terrapin Challenge booth in the expo all day. It was a pretty fun day but I got a mild start on my weekend sunburn.

The next morning, I carpooled with Mason after a good night's sleep and arrived in good shape. Laura came to my rescue with a spare race belt since mine's AWOL at the moment and everything was OK. I've never had a more relaxed race start that I can remember. I had one goal: to hammer on the bike. I've been putting off my lactate threshold test on the bike because it requires a 1-h time trial at max pace, something that really isn't pleasant. Anyway, the swim was about the same as it always is - wet with a little bit of chop and lots of people crashing around. I came out feeling relaxed and almost 2 min faster than last year so that was a booster.
I worked pretty darned hard on the bike and felt like I couldn't have pushed it much harder without someone to catch in front of me. Maybe I need Johan in my ear or something. Anyway, after coming into the bike I was totally excited to see that I had dipped just under an hour - an elusive goal my teammates have talked about a few times. I may have earned the privilege of looking silly in an aero helmet next time... When I set out on the run after a mistake-laden transition including a jog to the bike exit rather than the run exit, I saw a small person in Los Locos colors in the distance. I took me a mile to determine it was Joy and another to get close enough to complain about short races. She just told me to relax my arms in her best coaching voice. The next goal was... someone in green...I couldn't make it out but I recognized the gait. By the turn around I had caught up to (-12 s) Mason! Too bad he got to see me at the turnaround because over the last 3 mi he picked up another ~1:10 on me! I'm sure he'd have killed himself to keep me from catching up. I would have too in his situation but it wouldn't have worked...

Anyway, I feel very fortunate to have had a good race two weekends in a row and am really appreciative of all of the congratulatory and supportive comments. Other people had less stellar days and I think they are the ones who deserve the most support for struggling through it. That's a major part of what it's all about and it makes for a great training day! To that end, I'd just like to point out that any day you finish a race on is better than a day you don't or can't.

Surprise!

2008-05-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

I'm lucky to have some pretty cool friends. Yesterday they threw me a surprise party, the first of my life. I don't remember my last birthday party of any sort, actually.

Tuesday started as any Tuesday, with a 5:00 scramble to bike to the pool. I arrived on time for the first time in weeks, and didn't think about the birthday thing at all until after I'd gotten to work. I had a great lunch with me mum. By the time I got home, did an easy 45-min run from the track with Layla and Brandon A., I just made it back in time for Mason to pick me up to go to Julie's to "help with her bike." It was a nice evening. As we headed over to Julie's, Mason called and said something to the effect of, "did you put those bike parts away?" and I almost lost it. I'd had suspicions that something was afoot for the previous 2 days. There were no cars waiting outside Julie's so it was totally possible that I'd made all of this surprise party stuff up and didn't have any friends after all. Not so. Walking in, I was greeted by a room of people yelling, "Surprise!" Turns out, those people really were waiting on me. I retorted with, "I new it!" I'm not sure if that made other people have as much fun as I did but it sure was fun watching people sneak around for the last few days. Strangely, with no birthday announcement to Bosco's, everyone knew it was my bday and that I was going to Bosco's... OK, the Bosco's part is a given.

Lindsay baked an awesome homemade cake that was devoured in 5 min flat. There were drinks. We moved on to Bosco's. It was good.

Thanks again Linds, Julie, Laura, Kurt, Amanda, Jonathan, Mason, Joy, Layla, Brandons A. and B., Jeff, Andrea, Alistair, Leah, and everyone else who made my b-day a great one!

Lots of you will be on the beach with me in what I'm going to call hours from now so I look forward to seeing you there.

Getting a little PRO (adapted from atomicsheep)

2008-05-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

Before races you do some strange things. You stop exercising like a fiend, you eat lots of pasta, you shave weird things, you find your tiger balm, you dust off the wetsuit you’ve never worn, and you make your bike as PRO as possible. The bike maintenance is something you either love or hate. It’s a lot of work and your efforts don’t last for long - the first mud puddle, the first 500 miles. This fleeting nature of a well maintained bike is what makes it such a luxury and such a pain. If you’re not enjoying doing it, rest assured, you’re going to be hating it or not doing it.

This will be my first race on my new bike and I spent a bit of time this morning cleaning the cassette, setting up my race wheels so they shift nicely, etc. Important things to remember when making your bike PRO: line up your hot label on the drive side. If you have clinchers, line the label up centered on the valve stem so if you have a flat you can find the hole after taking the tire off to inspect. If you use white bar tape, clean it with dish detergent. Clean the entire bike, especially in the nitty gritty places like the bottom bracket behind the crankset, in the wheel wells, and behind the ears. Disassemble and scrub the cassette in solvent so that the inner parts that no one will see look great. Put on your race wheel-specific brake pads, checking for gunk or metal shards therein. Get the under side of the saddle free of the mud from all of those rainy training rides. Replace the mucky chain and clean the entire drivetrain so the new one isn’t instantly black. Wash the entire frame with dish detergent and towel dry. Clean under the bottle cages. Lubricate, dry, lubricate, dry again. PRO.

Colbie Callait!

2008-05-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

Tegan & Sarah!

2008-05-03T14:12:00.000-07:00